Linchpin
by Lord Carnage
Summary: Under the right circumstances, insignificant events or unimportant individuals can change the course of history. A story that involves all the 'big-shots' of the Narutoverse. AU. Rated for language and violence. Manga spoilers. Complete Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**The Linchpi****n**

**Chapter 1: Rainwater**

**A/N****: So this is my first FF. For those who have noticed, the title is based loosely on that of the Season 4 episode of 'Castle'. Team Seven, Itachi, Kakashi, Shisui, Minato, the Sannin, Akatsuki and most of the Rookies shall have important roles in this fanfiction. Manga spoilers for later chapters.**

**So far, I haven't thought of any pairings, though that MIGHT change. The 'Linchpin' of the story is an OC (and hopefully he won't become a Gary Stu.) I'm going to give equal importance to all the involved characters, so this isn't going to be a 'centric' FF either. I've reread this 3-4 times to check for typos. Please inform me if I've overlooked any. Without further ado, I present to you, The Linchpin!**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto or any of the involved characters. This is purely a work of fiction. [Though Tensui (the OC) is pretty much mine ;D]**

* * *

Minato Namikaze-the Forth Hokage, known by all and feared by many as 'Konoha's Yellow Flash' and heralded as the fastest man of his generation- was in sheer distress. It wasn't due to an S-Rank Mission, or an SOS call from a warzone. Issues like those would never shatter his composure.

The reason Minato was worked up, and was rushing to a training ground on the outskirts of Konoha was the arrival of a panicking Chuunin at his office a few minutes ago. Panting heavily, Shisui Uchiha explained the predicament.

Even after being appointed Hokage, the blonde prodigy insisted in mentoring a team of young shinobi-in-training. He often wondered whether it was so that he could warm up to the idea of having kids one day(Minato was terrified of toddlers), or that he simply wanted to assure himself that he could train a squad that lived long enough to reach adulthood. On the request of a long-time friend, Fugaku Uchiha, the Head of the Konoha Police Force and Leader of the Uchiha Clan, Minato agreed to take young Itachi who was barely five years old, and his ten year old cousin, Shisui under his wing.

The third child was a seven year old named Tensui. Minato didn't know much about him, except that he was orphaned-as was the case of around half the children in those times- and that he was found by Hiruzen Sarutobi, the now-retired Third Hokage. For some reason, the Third was tight-lipped about the circumstances and condition Tensui was found in, and Minato didn't press for information either. The Third Hokage was, after all, very respected, and Minato trusted his discretion.

Yet, as Minato sped along the rooftops, slowing his pace so that Shisui could keep up, he began to doubt his assumption that the Third was as clueless as he initially thought. There had been rumors about young children who showed prodigious talents being abducted and trained by various organizations. 'Hmm, this kid hasn't really displayed any particularly special skills so far, so I guess I'm just over-thinking things. Come to think of it, he has shown no sort of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and is just average at Taijutsu', Minato thought, and then began chuckling when he realized that he just described Might Guy when he was a Genin.

Frankly, the only reason Minato decided to mentor Tensui was because Hiruzen specifically emphasized on him having a really strong heritage. That, and Tensui seemed to have excellent chakra control. Unlike most instructors, when Minato found something excellent, it was excellent. Infact, he had briefly contemplated handing Tensui over to Hiashi Hyuuga. It was a unique ability that wasn't really all that awe-inspiring, but did carry a lot of potential for future jutsus. It probably could qualify as a Kekkei Genkai if mastered.

'Focus!' the Yondaime reprimanded himself.

Shisui recounted how Tensui suddenly collapsed while sparring with Itachi. It wasn't a strange occurrence per se, but those suffering from chakra exhaustion generally regained consciousness within a few minutes. Kakashi Hatake, Minato's only living student, had been supervising the training, and immediately sent Shisui (who had gained incredible skill in the Shunshin under Minato's guidance) to the Hokage Tower.

'I hope it isn't anything serious…I am responsible for this boy's life, and I intend to keep him safe, atleast until we find a foster home.' His train of thought was interrupted when they arrived at the scene of the incident. Without wasting a second, he placed his palm on the unconscious boy's forehead and channeled his chakra through him.

Kakashi's diagnosis was spot on-Tensui collapsed due to chakra exhaustion. However, the cogs in Minato's prodigious mind started turning.

'I asked Kakashi to supervise a simple sparring session. Surely this boy doesn't possess such a tiny chakra pool that a simple exercise like that would exhaust him', Minato reasoned as he looked deeper into the chakra networks of the unconscious, dark-haired, pale-skinned boy.

There was a sudden hitch in Tensui's chakra flow…then another one. In a few seconds, the boy's chakra began to go haywire in response to the intrusion. Minato's eyes widened and the colour drained from his face. In his time as a Jounin in various warzones, Minato had come across these symptoms far too often in refugees and prisoners-of-war to miss the indication.

He whipped around in a sudden motion, and nearly yelled," Kakashi, I need you to bring Inoichi Yamanaka here, NOW! Shisui, go and inform the Third as to what happened, and escort him here as soon as possible! And this goes without saying-don't tell ANYONE what happened." Without waiting for a response, he barked," Itachi, help me move his body into that clearing", gesturing towards the forest at his right, in the direction of the supposed clearing.

The two youngsters, a little unnerved by seeing their ever-so-calm Sensei in such panic, rushed into the village. Meanwhile, after moving Tensui into the said clearing, Itachi asked Minato, putting on a passive façade, "Sensei, what is the matter? I know that what Tensui is suffering from isn't plain chakra depletion, but is it really that bad?"

"Oh, it's worse", Minato said exasperated, and continued while massaging the bridge of his nose, " He has symptoms similar to the victims of crude, but highly efficient S-Rank chakra and mind seals. They were frequently employed during the Second and Third Shinobi Wars, to suppress the wills of prisoners of war; they were also used on shinobi from radical groups, so that amnesia would be induced on capture, and information would stay safe. However, the jutsu used to place these seals generally embedded them directly into the brains of the receivers. Someone of Tensui's age cannot handle that kind of mental strain!"

Minato, finally calm, ignored Itachi's reaction to this bit of trivia, and put his mind to work. 'Okay', he thought, 'these seals generally require a lot of chakra, and complex procedures. Kushina once said that seals of this caliber were declared illegal even in the Land of Whirlpools. The only shinobi who should be capable of them are either from Konoha, or from Iwa. Thankfully, due to Konoha's security measures, I can rule out the possibility of Rock ninja snooping around Konoha to perform such a complex jutsu. That only leaves the seal-masters from Konoha…"

All of the panic Minato had felt mere minutes ago returned to him tenfold. This reeked of one man, and one man alone. For the first time in his career, Minato hoped that it was a misunderstanding, and that his gut-feeling was incorrect.

"_Danzo Shimura_!"

"What..?"

Minato turned to see the Sandaime and Inoichi jumping into the clearing. Hiruzen had a tense look on his face, probably due to hearing Minato hiss the name of his former-teammate with such rage and disgust. Not too long ago, when the Third Shinobi War had recently broken out, Danzo Shimura had come forth with a petition to be exempted from his duties as an advisor, and to be allowed a grant for a new shinobi training programme. He called it 'ANBU Root'. Though it was a helpful project, both the Sandaime and the Yondaime agreed that it was unnecessarily ruthless, and Root was disbanded. The whole affair left a bitter taste with Minato.

"Inoichi-san, thank you for coming on such short notice. I need you to look into this boy's memories and tell me what you see. However, please do not be surprised if you encounter and mind-blocks or memory seals", Minato began. This, predictably, got a gasp from not only Inoichi and Hiruzen, but also Itachi, Kakashi and Shisui.

"Umm…. Okay… Hokage-sama, I do not know what's going on here, but if you wish, I might be able to project them for you to see. It's a new jutsu the Clan has developed". Minato was obviously impressed, but this wasn't the time to dish out compliments.

"What you see now, is highly confidential. I trust that you three," Minato gestured towards the minors," understand the severity of this." On getting affirmations, he performed a few hand signs and with a soft hum, a barrier erected itself around the clearing. "Go ahead", Minato said to Inoichi, who placed his palm on the frail boy's temple.

* * *

A haunting silence filled the clearing. Everyone was presumably contemplating what they just witnessed. Apparently, Root wasn't as disbanded as people presumed. On any other occasion, Minato would be overjoyed. Konoha had, after all, just gained potentially valuable intelligence that could alter the course of history. However, this accomplishment came at a cost-the ruining of a life, probably two.

Minato was the first to come out of his reverie. In a swift movement, he dashed forward and punched a tree. The loud crack that ensued seemed to rouse the others from their thoughts. Minato was practically radiating rage and murderous intent, and his chakra was spiking rapidly.

"There's something I should have told you, Minato. I discovered it recently, only a month ago", Hiruzen began with a tone that was as apologetic as that of one who was Hokage for more than 40 years could get. 'That's 10 months since I met Tensui', Minato calculated, calming down.

"His parents were both Konoha shinobi. Do you remember when I told you about his heritage being valuable? I just had suspicions back then when I handed him over to you. However I've confirmed them." All the shinobi in the clearing were waiting with anticipation.

"Do you remember the fiasco that occurred a few years back? The one where an Uchiha went missing?"

"Yes, Sarutobi-sama", began Inoichi, "it concluded in him being branded a missing-nin."

"I remember. Fugaku was pretty tense then. The Uchiha Clan Elders were supposedly putting a lot of pressure on him. Come to think of it, Fugaku was tense that whole month", Minato commented.

"Yes, that's the one. What you don't know, and what I've discovered, is that he had been assassinated by the Clan Elders."

This got a reaction…

"What! That cannot be! I'll talk to Fugaku about-"

"That wouldn't help!" Hiruzen cut off Minato, "The only ones involved were the Clan Elders, and we have no tangible proof of it- just a suspicion based on what I found."

Shisui spoke up, "There is only one thing that could have happened." All eyes darted to him.

"According to the scriptures-which are insanely long and boring as hell- in the event that a member of the Uchiha Clan…uh…fraternizes with an outsider and fathers a child, it is considered high treason and the senior-most members of the Uchiha Clan are allowed to kill him. Infact, it is their duty to do so."

"In any case", Hiruzen began, before he was interrupted again, "his father was murdered. I suspect that his mother met the same fate. The other boy we saw was probably his younger brother. As you all now know, they were put into and orphanage in the neighboring town and subsequently abandoned in the Konoha forests when Tensui was barely six. I found him in the burnt and destroyed field. He had no recollection of anything except his name. The rest is….Minato, I didn't know; both that Root was still active and that there were members of Konoha in need of help. I guess I owe him an apology"

After a few moments of silence, Minato spoke up, "There's no point in fretting over it now. I'll confront Fugaku when I get the time, and explain the predicament. I'm sure that he'll understand, and might just adopt Tensui."

Shisui was quick to comment, "Sensei, I think the problem lies with Mikoto-sama. She's pregnant, and already has to look after one weirdo." This earned him a glare from Itachi, though he was fairly used to his cousin's playfulness.

"Anyway," Minato continued, "till then, he will stay with Kushina and me. Who was his mother?"

Hiruzen let out a long sigh. "She was one of the great-granddaughters of…the Shodai."

It all fell into place.

"That's right. This boy doesn't have talent. However, he has potential, and a lot of it. If honed correctly, he might become one of Konoha's Top 10 Shinobi of the next generation! That's probably why Danzo was after him. He's technically a genetic treasure-cove, and whether he becomes exceptional himself or not is irrelevant to Danzo."

Minato seemed to think about this for a while, before addressing the Yamanaka, "Will he remember all that has been suppressed? What about the Kekkei Genkai? If he was able to access it at such an age, there'll be uproar!"

"I cannot be sure of when, but he'll probably get his memories back eventually. Generally, jutsu of this type wear off in a month or so. However, Tensui is quite young, and doesn't have the mental strength to handle something of this magnitude. We may start therapy, but I suspect that you want to keep this a secret from him in favor of him regaining them naturally."

Minato nodded approvingly, and Inoichi continued, "The seals are probably rigged to come undone after a certain phrase or chant is said. That is the basic algorithm for these kinds of jutsus. Considering that Danzo is involved, it would be foolish to start guessing. As for the Kekkei Genkai, you may relax. I may not know much about the Sharingan, but I know enough to say that what happened to him was a simple fluke. The circumstances were favourable due to which it awakened-it probably has nothing to do with Tensui's skill level... I wouldn't be too worried about it. As with his memories, he will only regain his bloodline abilities when the seal is undone. He ofcourse, will be able to re-awaken the Sharingan through training."

Minato was relieved at this, and so was Hiruzen. The last thing the village needed now was another Madara Uchiha, who, according to the records, managed to have awakened his 3-Tomoe Sharingan at the age of 5.

Kakashi spoke for the first time, "What will the seal release be like?"

"Basically, he'll regain all the hidden memories and lost abilities. It shouldn't hurt, but quite frankly, I don't have enough to work with to know that. The process will be overwhelming at the least. Oh, also, it might be a little strange for those who know him. The seal he has is probably programmed to suppress ones personality and will. On release, you might find that Tensui has some traits and qualities which he didn't have earlier. In layman terms, it will feel as if he has matured overnight."

"Thank you Inoichi-san. Now, to get to business. Sandaime-sama, we must tackle the issue with Danzo as soon as possible. I'd like to hold an impromptu meeting with the Elders, bar Danzo ofcourse. Itachi-kun, please ask your father to attend it as well. However, don't tell him anything about what we just witnessed. Inoichi-san, with the exception of Ibiki-san no one must know of this. Infact, I prefer to keep the existence of Tensui a secret from as many people as possible, since it is clear that Danzo probably thinks him to be dead. That itself is a trump card-his existence has fed us with enough information to change the course of history."

'Why is Minato making such a humongous deal of this? Is there something that I've overlooked? In any case, I must put my faith in him', thought Hiruzen.

Hiruzen and Inoichi left at once. Shisui, Kakashi and Itachi stated behind for further instructions.

"The three of you may go. Itachi-kun, can you inform your father to see me in 20 minutes in my office?"

"It's 1:15pm Sensei. Father is probably busy with….." Itachi trailed off on seeing the Yondaime's face pale, and his expression twist in pure terror.

"FUCK! I'm late again! Kushina is going to kill me!" Minato nearly screeched. "I'll see you boys tomorrow. Same time, Kakashi is in charge", he instructed, though he was clearly distracted. Picking up the prone figure of the unconscious seven-year-old, Minato disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Itachi looked on in confusion while Shisui and Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Kakashi-san, what was that about?" the youngest of them asked.

As if on cue, a loud, feminine, angry voice was heard coming from the direction of the Hokage Quarters. "YOU'RE LATE, 'YA KNOW! AGAIN! FASTEST MAN MY ASS! WHAT DO HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF THIS TIME? Oh a kid! How cute! HOLD IT MINATO! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU…."

"I see", Itachi commented empathically. Then, the three of them walked off silently, as if the just hadn't overheard the village's strongest shinobi being yelled at by his wife.

* * *

A few days later at midnight, a lone shinobi with a long, white mane snuck through a window into the Hokage's office. Minato looked up from his desk.

"Rough night eh, kid?"

"Oh Jiraiya-sensei, you have no idea. The paperwork just doesn't end! Anyway, I'm glad you stopped by. You may submit your report on Kumogakure tomorrow" was Minato's fatigued reply.

"You should really hire some assistants here. Cute assistants."

Rolling his eyes at his former sensei's antics, he moved to address more important topics.

"I need more reconnaissance work done…..on Root."

Jiraiya's expression turned grim. Anything that involved Danzo generally breached a lot of moral codes and standards, and that was saying a lot in a community where people killed for a living.

"So it's true? It still exists?"

"Very few are privy to this information. Please be discreet. Excluding the Council, only Sandaime-sama, Inoichi-san, Itachi-kun, Kakashi-kun, Shisui-kun and Fugaku know at present. Kushina knows as well."

"Wait, what? That's an odd group, don't you think? Minato, what is going on? Even the old man's poster-boy-prize-student-Mr.-perfect Orochimaru doesn't know?"

Minato sighed in exasperation, and explained the predicament.

"That's real rough kid. This boy Tensui, what is going to happen to him?"

"Currently, he's staying over with Kushina and I. He's taken a real liking to us, as if we were his foster parents. Unfortunately, with Kushina pregnant, things are going to get really bumpy in a few months. I addressed Fugaku with this issue, and unless the Uchiha Elders get really anal, he has agreed to adopt the boy."

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes," Minato spoke after a moment, "even though it may seem that he is a little too stern-"

Jiraiya scoffed.

"- he's simply under a lot of pressure from the Uchiha Council. Politics gets really troublesome at times."

"Hah! You sound just like the Nara. How is Kakashi? He took the demise of his teammates pretty hard, didn't he?"

"Same old, same old. Though he's begun picking up Obito's habits-namely his tardiness- and honestly, it's a little unsettling. All in all, he seems to be doing much better. Kakashi is astonishingly mature for his age and has come to terms with the fact that death is a part of life."

"Atleast he doesn't harbour any resentment towards his new team."

"Kakashi's not like that. Actually, he seems to get along pretty well with Shisui. However when it comes to intelligent conversation, he turns to Itachi."

"Ah, the Uchiha Heir! I'm given to believe that he is a genius too. Be careful Minato-even though we rant about how the new generation will surpass the old, I doubt you'd want to be done away by a pair of brats that can't even buy sake!"

"Sensei, I've asked you, on numerous occasions, to stop calling me a genius haven't I? It makes me sound…pompous."

"Hah! You'll live! Anyway, I should really get going. A lot of hotties are going to be really disappointed if I'm late. Your job will be done. See ya!" The Sannin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Minato felt sorry for him. Ever since Lady Tsunade developed severe Haemophobia and left Konoha indefinitely, Jiraya had been down. Orochimaru was always immersed in some experiment or the other. Nobody likes to see the team they had belonged in for decades collapse like that. Hence, he often kept himself busy and distracted with recon missions and peeking at naked women.

* * *

Tensui was a mystery; atleast that's what Minato speculated, when the former moved in. In two days the mystery was all figured out.

Tensui seemed empty, for a loss of a better word. After one got past that, Tensui was generally…..bored. He often seemed lost in a world of his own. It was quite infuriating at times, especially when he grumbled. If Minato didn't know any better, he'd say that Tensui was a grumpy child. However, Minato understood and read Tensui pretty accurately.

Probably due to the memory loss, Tensui often seemed to be mulling over something or the other; basically he seemed distracted. He was surprisingly understanding when he was informed that he'd have to wait for the seal to release and his memories to awaken naturally. However, he seemed…..insecure. He also complained a lot, though most of them were obviously shallow comments that weren't meant to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, not many grasped that.

'It's those damn Uchiha genes!' Kushina concluded. 'It amazes me how Mikoto can stand Fugaku, much less love him.'

Minato, being more reasonable and tolerant attributed it to the seal, though he wondered what kind of a person Tensui was meant to be.

'He's quite intelligent and observant. Unfortunately he also seems passive, and that might hinder him being a shinobi. I wonder if he doesn't want to be one….. In any case, he seems to excel at strategic planning, and not the conventional short term discretion that 'good' leaders are supposed to have.'

It was true. Minato had recently taught him shogi and they played a game regularly after dinner everyday. Minato noticed that Tensui would do a very peculiar thing. He would seemingly neglect his own pieces (he was however, very much aware of their positions) and observe his opponent's strategy instead. Then, he'd throw a wrench into it, usually be doing something unusual like sacrificing his piece. He never won ofcourse, but frequently managed to keep Minato aware and careful. When asked about it, he simply shrugged and said, "There's no way for me to win the war. Hence, I simply focus on winning the battles, and rendering your strategy useless is a victory in itself."

"I suppose he'll make a fine strategist and fit well in the Intelligence Department." Minato said to his wife one evening.

"Minato, don't worry about that. Gosh, don't you ever step out of your role as Hokage? We do have a child coming. How do you think Naruto would feel if his father didn't have time for him?"

"I know that Kushina. I'm sorry. It's just that the situation is very tense. A war just ended, and we may see another one pretty soon. Iwa has enforced an intense training programme-you know how old man Onoki can get- and according to Jiraiya-sensei's intelligence, Kumogakure is getting suspiciously interested in the Byakugan. The situation with Suna is tense as it is and Kiri is being...Kiri. In all this mess, I'm worried about Konoha. You know how Kakashi lost his comrades at the age of ten; how the Uchiha Council made Itachi visit an outpost to gain experience, which ended up being attacked by Stone shinobi. Hizashi-san's son, Neji also has displayed fast development-at the age of seven months, he could walk without support and began to access chakra. Prodigies have it hard, and even though Tensui hasn't been exceptional, he has latent abilities. If trained well, he might end up being one of the village's strongest shinobi", Minato finished by paraphrasing the Third Hokage's words.

"Minato! You are starting to sound like those old bags at the Council! He's just a child for God's sake, not a tool!"

"Believe me Kushina; I know very well what and who I sound like. However, you weren't there. You know the censored version, but you haven't seen what Tensui has gone through. Soon, in a few years, either he will regain his memories or Danzo will come to know that he is still alive, and that it is because of his memories that Root has been exposed. At worst, both will happen. Now Tensui doesn't seem like one to be overly driven by emotions, and I know that Danzo isn't really vindictive and that he doesn't maintain personal grudges, but I rather not test the limits of human emotion. In any case, he isn't in a position to become an average, everyday Chuunin who performs menial tasks and B-ranked missions. He will need to learn to fend for himself."

"I know."

Both the Hokage and his wife stilled. They turned to see Tensui standing on the threshold of the room, with a surprisingly calm expression on his face. The usual irked frown was nowhere to be seen. Sadly, his facial expressions didn't always reflect his mood and thoughts. He could be ecstatic and yet manage to pull off a decent frown that'd convince most of those that didn't know him.

"I know my responsibilities," he continued, "and I'm also aware that I probably wouldn't have an average life. I'm ready to undertake the challenge Otou-san. I'd like you to train me with Itachi, Shisui and Kakashi-senpai"

Minato smiled both at Tensui's maturity and the way Tensui addressed him. Kushina was however quite nervous.

Sensing this, the boy continued, "I'm really grateful and thankful for being taken in by you, and I frankly don't know what I would have done otherwise. Okaa-san, I know that you're worried, but you need to have faith in me, just the way you'd have faith in Naruto. In a way, I'm your son, aren't I?"

Kushina seemed to tear up, though this could just as well be attributed to pregnancy and hormones. She swooped down and hugged the boy and said, "Baka! Ofcourse I have faith. Just promise me that you'll be careful. And you don't need to thank us for something like that! Infact, I should thank you for spending time with me when this knucklehead was busy with his duties." She mock-glared at Minato.

"Relax you two…I'm going to train Tensui well. I'll make sure that the four of you become some of the most well known shinobi the world will see…though Kakashi already has a reputation of his own", Minato added as an afterthought.

"Good! Now Tensui, go to bed."

"But is only seve-"

"_I said GO!_"

Tensui promptly turned around walked to the adjacent room thinking, 'Damn, she can be really scary…'

* * *

When Mikoto answered the door one afternoon, she was quite taken aback by the visitor's identity.

"Hokage-sama," she said cheerfully, "what brings you here?"

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that Mikoto-chan? Anyway, I need to see Fugaku. May I come in or must I send a petition 12 hours in advance?" Minato said with a grin.

Mikoto giggled and ushered him towards to verandah that overlooked the pond behind the house. Fugaku joined him shortly and Mikoto brought them tea and snacks.

"So how are things? Itachi-kun is doing very well by the way. He might be more of a genius than you people make me out to be. He can already perform Katon and basic Genjutsu."

"I'm glad to hear it. Sadly the Council won't leave him alone in a few years if he continues to show that much promise", Fugaku sighed.

"They're still at it eh? Wasn't sending him into a warzone enough? He's just a kid for God's sake…"

"You think I haven't said that? "In this world age doesn't matter. Power is all that does!" is what they said. Quite frankly if you hadn't threatened them with arrest and exposure after that incident, they'd probably pull something of the sort again."

"They're still mad about that?" Minato asked.

"Yeah. Thankfully they've backed off from Itachi and started to give Shisui a disturbing amount of attention. Still in every meeting it's basically- "Yondaime-this", "Konoha-that". If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they don't like you very much, Minato."

In three seconds, both of them burst into chuckles. Minato had this uncanny ability to put Fugaku at ease. It was one of the major reasons that he treasured their friendship so much.

"Anyway, that is my burden to bear for now. What did you want to see ma about, Minato?"

"You forgot already? I did send you a message you know… Not something a Hokage generally does", Minato said with a mock-sulk.

"Right. I'm sorry, it slipped my mind. And Minato, please don't send frogs into this house. They spooked the heck out of Sasuke-wouldn't stop crying for hours. If I'm not mistaken, Kushina-chan is due in two weeks, right?"

"Yeah. This year's babies are going to make one heck of a generation! All the major clans- Inuzuka,Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, Hyuuga, Uchiha and Uzumaki- are having kids."

"I wonder how the Tsuchikage reacts to this information", Fugaku commented slyly. It was no secret that Ryotenbin-no-Onoki was jealous of the amount of clans-both major and minor- that Konoha housed.

"It'd be priceless", Minato agreed, "though we really should get down to business now. If I'm late again, Kushina might just follow through with her threat of gutting me with a rusty Hiraishin Kunai."

Fugaku cringed and led Minato into his office for privacy.

* * *

"So, what do you think", Minato asked Fugaku who seemed to be meditating.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Your hypothesis is correct. Now I cannot reveal any Clan secrets, but the presence of Senju DNA will certainly interfere with the Sharingan. Tensui's Sharingan seems to be different. It probably is superior in fields like deciphering chakra patterns, but the part of it that copies Ninjutsu and performs Genjutsu hasn't developed. Tell me, what jutsu can he perform?"

"He cannot perform any. Atleast not in the conventional sense. He is incapable of moulding chakra with handseals."

"But...?"

"He has a peculiar ability. He is able to...let's call it manipulation... yes, he can manipulate chakra outside his body, just like the Sandaime Kazekage manipulated Iron Sand."

Fugaku's eyes widened slightly.

"Minato, what I'm about to tell you consists of some of the Clan's most revered secrets-the one's even the Hokage isn't supposed to know."

Minato said nothing, but waited silently. If the importance of the information outweighed the need for it's secrecy, he knew without a doubt that Fugaku would tell him.

"In the Clan's secret meeting place, there lies a Tablet rumoured to be left behind by the Rikodu Sennin, which contains directions for awakening the doujutsu. I'm sure you already know that both the Uchiha and Senju Clan's are said to be his direct descendants."

"Where are you going with this Fugaku?"

"The Tablet cannot be read normally. However, it can be read partially with the Sharingan. The Mangekyou Sharingan reveals more information."

"How many Clan members possess the Mangekyou?"

"Only I do. I haven't really trained it for battle, but it's awakening has allowed me to read about 60% of the Tablet. After referring to other ancient scripts and making speculations, I've come upon a theory."

"I'm listening."

"I believe that the Tablet can only be read completely by a higher doujutsu."

"Surely you're not suggesting what I think you are..!"

"Yes Minato, I'm referring to the King of all Doujutsu-the Rinnegan. I know that it's just said to be a myth, but...What?"

"Jiraiya-sama told me that many years ago, he encountered a boy in Amegakure who possessed the Rinnegan! However, he died sometime later..."

"Then my theory has some ground!" Fugaku exclaimed.

"Possibly. What I don't understand is what is the connection to Tensui? Are you saying that with the union of Uchiha and Senju blood, he can awaken the Rinnegan?"

"No. His Sharingan isn't the conventional one. The probability of him awakening it is very slim at best. The connection is that I've read about Tensui's ability while I was going through some ancient scriptures. Before the time of the Rikodu Sennin, there were a few monks who could manipulate chakra in such a way. I believe it was infact called 'Chakra Manipulation'. The Sage merely developed a much easier and more effective way of handling it when he created Ninjutsu."

"Aren't there any scrolls that-"

"No, just a passing mention. He is pretty much on his own when it comes to figuring and inventing jutsus."

"And do you suppose that he'll be able to use conventional Ninjutsu and Genjutsu?"

"He might be able to use crude derivations of normal jutsu-for example, he could use _Suiton _by channelling his chakra directly into water and trying to control it; this too is mere theoretical speculation. He should be able to use Genjutsu, though it'd take a lot of effort and training on his part. It would be a little strange wouldn't it? A shinobi with chakra control that'd make the best medics and Hyuuga look like genin having trouble performing Genjutsu?"

"It doesn't matter. With proper training, Tensui will learn to live around his weaknesses."

"I agree."

With that, both of them stood to leave.

On emerging, Minato was surprised to see Kushina chatting animatedly with Mikoto in the living room.

"Oh, there you are honey", Kushina said in a deceptively kind tone, and pulled out a rusty Hiraishin kunai.

Minato blanched, and both the ladies burst out in giggles. Fugaku cracked a smirk.

"Very funny, dear. By the way, where is Tensui?"

"He's upstairs with Itachi-kun and Sasu-chan", beamed Kushina.

"Really?", asked Minato, "they don't look like they'd enjoy play-dates."

"They're reading." Mikoto said dryly, "They're reading scrolls."

"Studying ahead?" Fugaku asked with a hint of pride.

"Itachi called it 'light reading'. I swear Fugaku, he better not become a stuck-up antisocial outcast who doesn't like to have fun!" Mikoto exclaimed. Hanging out with her best friend usually brought out her dormant immaturity.

"Stop overreacting dear. I get enough of drama in the Council meetings as it is" came the Clan Head's irritated reply. "Don't you have to return to your duties Minato?"

Sadly, Minato saw through the obvious ruse. "What's the matter Fugaku? Are you kicking the Hokage out of your house? I was hoping for a spar, but is seems that you're simply scared" he teased.

"Fine!" said Fugaku. "Let's do this."

"Okay, but I won't use Hiraishin or Fuuinjutsu. Wouldn't want the Uchiha Clan head to die in a second, now would we?" the Yondaime cracked a grin.

"Sure. I won't use Genjutsu either! We cannot have the Hokage having nightmares and wetting his bed!" Fugaku retorted with a smirk.

"Hey!" Minato yelled indignantly, "I was eight and that was a really creepy Genjutsu used by a missing-nin. Why Jiraiya-sensei even spoke about it is beyond me!"

The women sweatdropped as they witnessed the strongest man in Konoha and the ever-stoic Uchiha Clan Head squabble like children.

"Well," said Mikoto after a short while, "it's nice to have Minato and Fugaku over, instead of the usual Forth Hokage and the Head of the Uchiha Clan roles they adopt."

"Yeah!" agreed Kushina.

The two continued to enjoy each other's companies for the rest of the day. After all the death and destruction the Third Shinobi War brought, the situation was steadily improving and things were finally looking up.

* * *

**A/N 2****: So, how is it? I know most of this chapter has revolved around the OC (though he was barely conscious for most of it), but that'll change real soon. Two weeks until Naruto is born...hmm...I wonder what that means nudgenudge**

**I'll probably update in 7-10 days, though I'd like atleast 3-5 reviews before doing so. Suggestions are welcome, so is constructive criticism.**

**Also I know that Fugaku is quite…well…not stuck up-the thing is that we don't really know whether he is really a wife-beating, puppy-kicking tyrant to declare him OOC.**

**Anyway, please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2- The Passing of a Legend**

**A/N: Okay... a couple of reviews and a few favs/alerts. Pretty decent, considering that not many people read non-romance stories... Anyway here it is. I'm sorry if the emotional parts are a bit cheesy, but I'm not that experienced at writing them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. This is purely a work of fiction.**

**EDIT: Fixed a few typos. Nothing major...  
**

* * *

On the day that Kushina was due, the tension and apprehension in the atmosphere was tangible. Minato had cleared his schedule of all duties, and Hiruzen was busy short-listing the ANBU guards that were to be stationed at Naruto's place of birth.

The reason for all this was simple-Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside Kushina. Only a handful knew about it, and it was best that it stayed that way. When Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage and the first Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, underwent childbirth, the seal nearly failed. It was natural that both the Third and the Forth Hokage were taking extra measures.

Tensui was confused. He didn't understand what the fuss was about-women gave birth to children successfully everyday. Yet he wasn't allowed to come along with his guardians to witness the birth of his brother-in-bond. Minato dropped him off at an outhouse quite far from the village borders and told him to wait for their arrival.

Finally, it was time. For the first time in years, Kushina was nervous. The more obvious conclusion was that childbirth was something new to her, and was supposed to be really painful. The other reason was that, even as Biwako Sarutobi led her to the gates of the village, she could feel the Kyuubi get agitated. There was not a trace of doubt in her mind that it would attempt to free itself.

Running into Mikoto and her newly born baby son helped calm her nerves a bit.

"Oh so this is the great Sasu-chan I've heard so much about! I'm so honored that I finally get to meet him." Kushina teased in a high pitched tone.

"Come on Kushina, you know it isn't like that. Yakushi-san specified that he be confined to his room for a few weeks so that he doesn't develop any infections. Something about a relatively weak immune system. Now it's not my fault that you couldn't walk up a few measly little stairs…" Mikoto commented offhandedly.

"How dare you! I remember you grumbling how steep those stairs were for a few months after marriage! And you seem to forget that I was 34 weeks pregnant when I visited you."

"Calm down Kushina… I see that you're quite jittery. Not so brave now are you?"

Kushina's indignant expression fell at that. "Yeah. Hey Mikoto, tell me something", Kushina leant closer, "is it really that painful?"

Mikoto chuckled nervously. Meanwhile Biwako, who was getting quite entertained by the way, tugged Kushina away and berated her for being too loose with the specifics of their undertaking.

"Come on Kushina! We're going to be late. And please try to remember that this is a top secret matter. Try not to scream so loudly that it disturbs the Tsuchikage's beauty sleep in Iwa when the contractions begin!" she exaggerated.

"Easy for you to say" Kushina mumbled.

"What was that?"

"It's a beautiful day" Kushina covered up. Biwako may be a kind lady, but when it was time to get to business, she didn't want to cross the elder lady.

* * *

Somewhere near the border of the Fire Country, in a dark and damp cavern, two figures were conversing in low tones.

"Are you positive about this Zetsu?" a masked man said, rather than asked.

"Ofcourse!" the white half of Zetsu exclaimed. "Do you think that we would fail at somethi-"

**"Yes Tobi"** Black Zetsu cut off his other half's rant. **"The due date has been brought forward by two days. As we speak, the arrangements are being made."**

"That'll be all then. I have work to do. Continue spying on Kirigakure for the time being." With this, Tobi disappeared in a swirling vortex. Soon after, Zetsu sunk into the ground.

There were no signs that indicated that the cavern was ever occupied.

* * *

Tensui was interrupted from his meditation by the arrival of Minato. However, something was clearly wrong.

"Wha-What happened?" he asked meekly.

Minato quietly placed a bundle of blankets into the crib that was ordered for Naruto, and turned to Tensui. He gasped at the agitated and haunted look on the Yondaime's face.

"I don't have time to explain. Whatever happens, STAY INDOORS! I'll be back soon."

With this, he disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to return a few seconds later with an exhausted, worn out Kushina. Her face was pale and radiated fear. He gently placed his wife next to his son, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. Within seconds, his face twisted in rage.

"Minato, he's going for Konoha! You must stop him! You mus-"

"Calm down Kushina, it's not good for you… I'll be back before you know it!"

Tensui never really appreciated the power of the man he saw as a father figure until now. The aura Minato was radiating when he put on his cloak and gathered his Hiraishin kunai spelled pain for whoever it was that tried to harm his family.

"Kushina," he added as an afterthought, "you may explain the situation to him."

And then he was gone.

* * *

In a hideout outside Konoha, in a locked, candle-lit chamber, an old man was pacing agitatedly.

"How was the evacuation?" a dark voice asked from the shadows.

"It was almost successful, Madara-sama" he replied, bowing.

"Almost!" the masked man thundered.

"Well, yes" the old man replied timidly. "Every Clan member except the residents of the main house is present here. We were going to inform them, but we don't really trust the Clan Head. He is suspiciously close to the Hokage."

"You have the audacity to defy my orders! Remember this-I had no obligations to care about your safety, especially since your ancestors betrayed me like they did! The only reason I approached you was because the Clan can still be of use to me." The masked man spoke in a low tone, but the malice laced in it was enough to make the other occupant cower.

"P-please forgive me, but I thought that Fugaku would surely report this to-"

The masked man sighed. "I guess it's for the best. Does ANYBODY know about our meetings?"

"No, Madara-sama" The Uchiha Council member was obviously relieved that his ancestor had calmed down. "We evacuated under the pretense of a possible mass contamination."

"Good." The word was spoken blandly, without conviction. "Who are the members still in Konoha?"

"Fugaku, his wife, his sons-Itachi and Sasuke, and his nephew Shisui. Shisui's parents were KIA."

The masked man made a sound of approval and continued, "Now you see why I rebelled? The Senju only see this Clan as firepower! I wonder, how many clansmen died in the line of action while the Hokage sat miles away, tackling paperwork! However, I'm going to correct that." The chuckle he let out would have caused most Jounin and even ANBU operatives cowering in fear.

"Carry on the way things are, as if I never contacted you. I have urgent business, so don't expect my summons for quite some time. However," he paused dramatically, "remember who you serve!"

With that, the masked man activated his Space-Time Jutsu and teleported away, the mask hiding his devious smirk.

'Finally, my plans come to fruition!. Now, to tackle Konoha and the Yondaime!'

* * *

It was a warm night in Konoha. Nothing was out of the ordinary. However, certain people had a sense of foreboding.

In the Uchiha district, Itachi sat with his baby brother in his lap.

'Of all possible times to be missing, why are Mom and Dad out now? Infact, I haven't met anyone all day.'

A second later, there was a blur of black, and a boy with short, thick locks of hair stood before Itachi.

"Find anything?" Itachi asked, while simultaneously trying to calm down a crying Sasuke.

"You won't believe it! The entire compound is deserted!"

"Do you suppose they've all gone to a meeting, Shisui?"

"It is a possibility. In any case, we must stay put. Let's go inside-if Sasuke-chan develops a fever, your mother is going to gut me." Itachi sighed-his cousin could be unnecessarily dramatic at times. He often wondered who the older one was. Itachi turned his attention to Sasuke.

"There, there Sasuke. Don't cry. No matter what happens, your big brother is here to protect you. And I promise I shall protect you with my life." The last part was murmured to himself.

"Yeah Sasu-chan. And when the big, bad Itachi fails, I shall ste-"

"Do you feel that Shisui?" Itachi asked in a serious tone. His cousin sobered instantly.

"Yes. What is that? I've got a feeling something big is gonna happen! Man, I hope someone returns soon!"

The two boys weren't the only ones to notice this.

"Guy," Kakashi interrupted another 'Youth' related speech his friend (and "eternal rival") was shouting with conviction, "do you feel a sort of chill in the air?"

The Copy Ninja ignored his companion's comments, and tried to focus on the feeling of dread rising in his chest.

'What is that feeling? Where is Sensei? Did something go wrong? He should have been back by now!'

All across Konoha, various shinobi-Shikaku out for drinks with Inoichi and Chouza; Hiruzen smoking a pipe in his office, and looking out the window; Fugaku and Mikoto waiting outside the Hokage Quarters to welcome the happy couple; Jiraiya downing sake while Orochimaru ignored him in favor of reading a scroll sitting on the adjacent barstool-all had the same thought.

'Something isn't right.'

A hooded figure stood on the Hokage Monument, scrutinizing the scenery before him. Suddenly, he leapt into the village, and performed some handseals in rapid succession.

_"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" [Summoning Jutsu]_

In an enormous puff of smoke, a large creature appeared-a creature with nine tails. The Kyuubi, Yoko Kurama, let out a thunderous roar, and began its rampage of destruction.

Within 30 seconds, all the prominent shinobi of Konoha began a counterattack, while the minors were ushered to safety. Needless to say, some weren't happy about it.

"You have to let us fight!" Kurenai Yuuhi exclaimed to her father.

"Out of the question!"

"You let Kakashi and Guy go! Why don-"

"Because they are Jounin and can handle themselves! Your duty is…" her father began in a desperate attempt to make his daughter see reason.

In another 5 minutes, the refuge was filled with civilians, Genin, Chuunin, infants, pregnant women, and the elderly.

Meanwhile, the Kyuubi and the defending shinobi were locked in a deadly battle.

'Amazing!' Orochimaru thought in awe, as he tried to subdue the beast with a barrage of jutsu. 'Such power! And to think that Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju could tame it!'

"Orochimaru! FOCUS!" shouted Jiraiya, and begun forming seals.

_"Doton: Yomi Numa!" [Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld]_

A vast swamp arreared below Kurama, and slowed down it's movements.

"Good thinking Jiraiya!" the Sandaime shouted over the sound of crumbling buildings.

"Sandaime-sama!"

Hiruzen turned to see Fugaku land next to him.

"Where is Minato? Have you seen any other Uchiha?"

"I have no clue! Let's tackle the issue at hand!"

Fugaku shut his eyes, and began concentrating.

"I've never trained it, but let's hope it works," he muttered.

"Whatever it is, make it work!"

With a small smirk, Fugaku gathered chakra into his feet, and jumped. When he reached high enough that he was at the level of the Kyuubi's eyes, he opened his eyes to reveal the pattern of a shuriken with three long spokes.

"Mangekyou Sharingan!"

Kurama fought the sensation that tried to lull him into a slumber. Fugaku's eyes were bloodshot due to the incredible strain and chakra drain. After a few seconds, his efforts paid off.

The Kyuubi was brought to it's knees. A squad of ANBU operatives took the opportunity to bind the beast's muzzle with chakra-enforced chains.

Fugaku fell to his knees in exhaustion. "This pain…! So…intense…"

"Now, we need to restrict it's movements!"

Shikaku Nara ensnared it with his Shadow Possession, while Inoichi attempted to disrupt it's thought process with a jutsu of it's own.

_"KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"_

In a puff of smoke, a small army was created.

"What is the meaning of this, Orochi-"

"Not now Manda!" Orochimaru said in a no-nonsense tone.

Manda, taking the hint, started wrapping itself around the Fox, while Gamaken tried to pin it down.

A barrage of Fuuton and Katon jutsus were hurled at the struggling Kyuubi, making it slowly back away.

There was a massive spike of chakra, and a few shinobi turned their heads to see Might Guy enveloped in a blue aura.

"Alright, let's hope this works! YOSH! Cursed beast! Feel my youth and cower before my wrath!" With that, he leapt forward and formed a strange symbol with his hands.

_"Hirudora!" [Daytime Tiger]_

The resulting impact managed to knock Kurama to his side and push it back a considerable distance.

Guy collapsed, suffering the after-effects of opening the Gate of Wonder. 'Still not perfect… It should have knocked it onto it's back, and stunned it for a while… uh…' Guy groaned, and every muscle in his body felt torn. However, the jutsu took it's toll on the Kyuubi.

Kurama flew into a rage and broke the chains binding it's muzzle. With a chakra-filled roar, it knocked most of the offending shinobi back a few metres. It started to collect black and white chakra in a sphere near it's mouth.

"Holy Hell!" exclaimed Jiraiya. "Where on Earth is Minato when you need him?"

A few moments ago, the Kyuubi had launched another one of the chakra bombs towards the Hokage Monument, and Minato had managed to appear and warp it away, before disappearing. This one was, however, thrice as big as the previous one.

"Have some faith!" barked Enma, the personal summon of Hiruzen. He transformed into the well known Adamantine Staff, and extended at an alarming rate, until he hit the lower part of the Kyuubi's mouth.

This not only made it snap shut, hence causing the ball of chakra to disperse, but also pushed it out of the village.

"We did it!" a shinobi exclaimed.

"Not yet!" barked the Sandaime. "Keep setting traps!"

**[Meanwhile]**

"… So a masked man is doing all this."

"Yes," Kushina said while heavily panting. "Listen to me. There is a high probability that I won't survive the night. That is my fate."

Tensui looked positively heartbroken.

Kushina cringed at the look she was given, but continued nonetheless. "You must inform tell the Sandaime what has happened, since Minato is off fighting the enemy, and there's no telling when he will return. Also, if things take a turn for the worst, and Minato doesn't return either," tears started rolling down her cheeks, "please, please watch over Naruto!"

Tensui looked at her with determination and swore, "I will do all I can to ensure that he isn't alone… that he has a better childhood than I did. It's," he faltered for a moment, "it's the only way I can repay my debt to you!"

"Thank you…son" Kushina said, and gave the child a hug. "Even if we're not there, you have friends and comrades now… you have a brother now." She knew what he must be going through. The child had no recollection of the incident, but Kushina was sure that on a sub-conscious level, he knew that he had lost someone dear to him. Now, he was losing someone again. 'He's only seven,' she reminded herself.

"Also, please tell Mikoto that I'm sorry… I'm sorry that I couldn't meet her again, and-"

She was interrupted by a crashing sound coming from Konoha's direction.

'Minato, what the fuck are you doing!'

* * *

Minato landed on his feet. After teleporting a Bijuudama formed by the Kyuubi, he was confronted by the masked man.

'Just who is he? An enemy obviously, but who? He was able to pass through my strongest barrier. He knew when the seal would be the weakest. He uses a space-time jutsu far superior to that of the Nidaime and myself. He can seemingly control the Kyuubi. He killed all the ANBU operatives handpicked by the Sandaime as if it were nothing!'

'And just now… my attack passed right through him. However, he was solid just a moment later, when he tried to suck me into that vortex.'

His musings were interrupted by the appearance of the masked man himself.

"Pathetic!" he spat. "A man as powerful as yourself trying to protect such a weak and useless village!"

'He obviously hates Konoha. All the clues point to one man and one man only. But should I be so reckless as to make such an assumption? I guess it can't hurt to try'

"You," Minato sneered, "are you Madara Uchiha? No…I doubt that. Madara is dead."

"Hmm… I wonder about that, Yondaime."

"It doesn't matter who you are. All that matters is that you're the enemy! Just what are you trying to pull!"

"Oh, you know… It's all a part of a grand plan for peace" the masked man drawled. "Peace, by starting a war that is."

'He can't possibly expect anyone to fall for that! In the unlikely event that he is Madara, he shouldn't be able to control the Fox for long. He probably wants to conclude the fight as soon as possible, and head towards the village. I must capitalize on his mistakes, and then stop the Kyuubi. In any case, this guy is the bigger threat.'

Suddenly, Tobi appeared in front of Minato and grabbed his neck. In a purely reflexive action, Minato teleported to one of the many tagged kunai scattered around the place.

"Hah! Nearly got you there. You were thinking along the lines of 'I'll deal with this guy as soon as possible and head out to the village', weren't you?"

Minato simply glared at him.

"Like I said-pathetic. Don't worry though. Nothing you do will change fate. Even if you do manage to get past me, the Kyuubi is truly a magnificent beast… No matter how much those insects struggle, given the right opportunity, the Fox wouldn't need five seconds to level your beloved village!" Then, the masked man let out a suffocating amount of murderous intent and growled, "Stop worrying about that pathetic place and start taking things more seriously! I've already told you-you're fight is with ME!"

"So be it" Minato declared coldly and charged forward. Tobi mimicked the movement.

'I need more information on his jutsu before I can play my hand.' Minato reasoned.

When the two met, Minato stabbed at his opponent's head, but the attack just passed through him, and Minato followed. As he stumbled, trying to regain his balance, Tobi tugged at the chains attached to his wrists, therefore binding Minato in them. Minato activated Hiraishin to escape, and landed a few metres away.

'That's it… He must become tangible when he wants to attack. I need to strike in that short opening.'

"Let's end this, Yondaime"

The two of them charged once again, and in a swift movement, Minato threw his marked Kunai at Tobi's mask. It phased through him, and by the time it came out on the other side of his head, the two shinobi were nearly touching each other. Quickly, Minato formed a Rasengan twice the size of his regular one, and began a thrusting motion.

Tobi ignored the rotating sphere of chakra, and grabbed at Minato's wrist.

"I've won" Tobi declared as his hand closed upon Minato's. However, to his shock, Minato disappeared and reappeared above him, sailing through the air.

'That kunai he threw!' Tobi realized as Minato drove the Rasengan into his back. Quickly, Tobi leapt away.

'I must retreat' he told himself, but to his astonishment, Minato appeared in front of him and drove the kunai into his stomach. Immediately after, Minato gathered chakra into his palm and rammed it into Tobi's chest.

"A Contract Seal!" gasped Tobi. "You intend to remove the Kyuubi from my control!"

"No," said Minato coldly, "I already have. The Kyuubi is no longer your weapon."

Turning intangible as a precaution, Tobi leapt onto a rock and mused, "You live up to your reputation, and you certainly deserve the title of Hokage. You managed to not only injure me, but you also wrested the Kyuubi from my control. However, I've won the war. Konoha will perish, and I will live on. Bet on it-the Kyuubi will be mine once again!" he finished ominously.

'Something tells me he's not lying.' With that, Minato dashed towards Konoha.

* * *

As the Kyuubi regained control overitself, it had only one thought in it's mind.

'Fools! I'll kill you all!' With that, the Kyuubi began form another Bijuudama. Gamaken and Manda were trying to restrain it, but to no avail.

"Not again!" a shinobi exclaimed.

Minato landed on the Hokage Monument once again, and to his horror, saw a quarter the village destroyed. Then, his eyes fell on the cause of it all.

'I must cripple the Kyuubi permanently if I want to make a difference. I'm sorry, Kushina.' Minato dashed forward.

_"Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu!" [Summoning Jutsu: Food Cart Destroyer]_

The large form of Gamabunta landed on the Fox with a thud.

"I need you to pin it down!" Minato said as he jumped on his head.

"Look here-I may be big, but I'm not a miracle worker Minato! Damn Fox!"

Finally gathering enough chakra, Minato teleported away, with the Kyuubi and it's Bijuudama, to the safehouse he'd left Kushina and Tensui.

Upon arrival, Kushina promptly restrained the Kyuubi with chakra chains.

'Damn it!' the beast cursed, 'first that fool with Madara's abilities; now this!'

"Wha-w-Is that the Fox?"

Minato cursed mentally. 'How am I going to explain things to him?'

"Kushina! Just hold it still for a little longer!" Minato put his arm around Tensui's shoulder and teleported to a spot a few dozen metres away.

"Listen…to me" Minato began, crouching down so he could look the boy in the eye. "We don't have time. I'm going to perform a jutsu that'll permanently weaken the Kyuubi. However, it'll kill me. The two of us won't make it…"

There was silence.

"What do you want me to say?" Tensui asked after a short while.

"Tensui, look-"

"No, I understand. You're the Hokage. Your duty is to the village first."

Minato saw various emotions flash through the boy's eyes. First, sorrow. Then there was guilt, rage, hints of denial, and finally, nothing. It felt as if he was looking into a corpse.

'It's worst than I thought! He's become very attached to us… devoted almost. Will he be able to accept this loss and live on? All I can do is hope.'

"Tensui, hear me out. When I was younger, I too lost a lot of comrades and friends. I began to believe that I was cursed-that everyone I got to know would end up dead. Ofcourse, I almost dismissed the notion immediately. However," Minato's eyes held a strange gleam, "I realized that I was indeed cursed. Cursed with strength…cursed with power…cursed with luck…cursed with all those things that enabled me to live, whereas people dear to me died, leaving me behind."

Minato's voice cracked, but he continued nonetheless.

"I would ponder on what I could do to break this curse-to gain some peace of mind. Then one day, it occurred to me. My responsibility was to harness my strengths, and turn my curse into a gift with which I can protect the ones I care about. Tensui, you too are cursed; so are your teammates. Therefore, train hard."

Tensui looked slightly confused.

Minato elaborated. "You have potential, but not readymade power. You are special, like your teammates, but even the so-called geniuses must struggle. You'll have a tough run, but learn. Learn everything you must; especially learning to live around your weaknesses."

The young boy saw the wisdom in the Yondaime's words. "I understand, sensei. Umm… Otou-san… I know that I'm supposed to wait until I regain my memories naturally, due to the volatile nature of the seal, but I can't help the feeling that this isn't the first time I've lost someone or something. And," he broke out in tears, "I don't know what to do. It… it hurts."

'He's crying. Thank the Gods!' Minato was both sad and relieved-relieved because he saw emotion enter the boy's eyes again. However, he had a feeling that subconsciously, they might get bottled up in the future. Making an urgent decision, Minato formed a set of handseals, gathered just enough chakra, and pressed his palm against Tensui's stomach. A seal was formed.

"Tensui, I've sealed a portion of my chakra into you. I will see you again sometime."

"When?"

"When you need me. Now look-we need you to be brave. Look after Naruto and tell the Sandaime what happened. Also tell him," Minato's expression became grave, "that the masked man could be Madara. Madara Uchiha."

"Sure."

"One last thing. I want the five of you to be my legacy. I've already taught Shisui my signature Shunshin, and Kakashi some chakra seals. I'm going to give Naruto the Kyuubi. In the hidden compartment in my office-you know the one-are some very precious scrolls. There are three very complex genjutsus-an A-Rank and two S-Rank-that you must give to Itachi. He'll like them. The rest, along with the scrolls and books in my library, all belong to you. I know you enjoy reading, and I hope tha-"

Minato was cut off when his foster son gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything… Otou-san. Please tell Okaa-san the same."

Minato smiled. "It's almost time. I'm sorry we're leaving you and Naruto behind, but it must be done. I'm sure… I'm sure that our only regret is not being able to see you guys grow up… though Kakashi is as grown up as it gets, Itachi will mature soon, and there's no hope for Shisui," Minato chuckled. "Do me a favour and tell them that I couldn't have had better students."

"I will."

"One last thing," Minato's said as his features turned grim and his voice hardened. "Don't ever give up on yourself. You have the capacity to do good. If you ever doubt your judgment or path, remember-you have the blood of your great-great grandfather coursing through your veins. Even if you don't inherit his power or his jutsus, I'm certain that you'll inherit his will."

"Who was he…?"

Minato took a deep breath. "Hashirama Senju."

Minato smiled at the puzzled look on Tensui's face, before rushing back to Kushina. She looked over to Tensui, and gave him a heartbreaking smile too, before setting up a barrier.

When Hiruzen arrived at the scene a few moments later with Fugaku and Jiraiya, he wasn't prepared for what he was about to witness.

Minato performed a set of hand seals.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Snake-Boar-Ram-Rabbit-Dog-Rat-Bird-Horse-Snake-Clapped Hands.

_"Fuuinjutsu: Shiki Fuujin! [Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal!]"_ Minato declared.

The shinobi watched helplessly as Minato sealed away half of the Kyuubi's chakra permanently, defended baby Naruto from it's attacks, sealed the fox inside Naruto and finally, after a few poignant last words, sealed the last vestiges of his and Kushina's chakra inside Naruto.

Tensui cringed and looked away when the Kyuubi's enormous claw impaled the two people he'd come to love, right through the abdomen. Soon, he fell to the ground, curled into himself, and stared into nothing as occasional tears streaked his face. When the Sandaime finally picked him up, Tensui's half-frown had returned. His eyes looked empty once again-empty, just like they were when he first met the boy. He simply looked at the old man, then slowly shut his eyes. Soon, he wasn't conscious.

"I hope this isn't a permanent thing. Minato told me this might happen," Hiruzen mumbled.

* * *

Soon, one of the worst nights Konoha had ever witnessed came to an end, as the sun began rising.

Hiruzen signaled for a Council Meeting to discuss what had just transpired. Many others had already begun damage control. However, no one's heart was in the work at hand-Konoha had just lost one of their greatest heroes, and his well-loved wife.

Before leaving, Hiruzen spoke, "Fugaku, please take Tensui home. He's pale, and has gone though a lot. I'd like you to go through with adopting him as you intended, but that's up to you. I also want to know why you were the only Uchiha who showed up, so start digging."

"The Clan Elders will surely put up a fight, but I'll do it. It's the least that I can do. I doubt they'd have so much audacity after their absence though. If more Clan members were present, we might have saved a few lives… even one would have been a success. I'll report to you as soon as I've got some answers."

"Thank you. I imagine that you'd want to attend the funeral. Please bring Shisui and Itachi along-they valued him a lot. If Tensui seems to feel better, you may bring him along."

With that, Fugaku left, and Hiruzen turned to Jiraiya.

"He's your godson, isn't he?"

"Yes" Jiraiya answered in a remorseful tone.

"I would normally ask you to adopt him, but I honestly doubt that you'd be a good influence on Naruto."

The Toad Sage didn't even bother retorting. "I know. I will however approach him later and teach him jutsu-just like I did his father-perhaps when he makes Chuunin… Sensei, I want something…" Jiraiya trailed off.

Hiruzen understood immediately. Jiraiya rarely called him 'Sensei'.

"Yes, you may arrange the funeral. I know how much the both of them meant to you."

"Thank you. One last thing-what about the Kyuubi? Currently, it's inside Naruto, but-"

"That will remain confidential, and so will his identity. Minato had many enemies, you know. The more pressing issue is that of the election of the Godaime Hokage. In the mean time, I shall resume duties as Sandaime Hokage."

Jiraiya nodded, and turned to leave.

"Jiraiya," the Sandaime began, "I never imagined I'd say this. Atleast not until recently-not until he began working with Danzo. Be wary of Orochimaru. You saw the way he looked at the Kyuubi, didn't you. His eyes held the same gleam-the same lust of one who has stumbled upon a priceless treasure. I'm not sure what he's up to, but we've had enough tragedy." It was hard, but the Sandaime knew it'd be immature and reckless to turn a blind eye to his former student and former successor's suspicious behavior.

* * *

A cloaked figure stumbled into a cave near the outskirts of the Earth Country.

'Damn it!' Tobi cursed. He had stayed back long enough to witness the fate of the Fox. 'The Shiki Fuujin? The Kyuubi is severely crippled, and though it is still very powerful, it will delay my scheme by a few years!'

"Hey, we're ba-what the hell happened, Tobi?"

"Not now, Zetsu." Tobi gathered some chakra in the tips of his index and middle fingers and pressed it against the Hiraishin marking Minato had left on his body, thereby causing it to fade. Event though the Yondiame was dead, the tag could probably still be detected, and give his location away. Besides, he found it's very sight repulsive.

The enraged shinobi finally calmed down in about twenty minutes.

**"Atleast the operation wasn't a complete failure, right?"** Black Zetsu ventured.

"Yes. Along with the partial destruction of Konoha, I also managed to sow the seeds of distrust between it and that miserable clan."

"I don't understand-" White Zetsu began, but was cut off by his counterpart.

**"Ofcourse you don't. What now, Tobi?"**

Tobi remained silent for a while, until the first few rays of sunlight poured over them from the cave's entrance.

"Hmm. Dawn…" Then it struck Tobi.

He smirked.

"Dawn… a fitting name, isn't it? Just when you believe you've lost your way, those sweet, sweet beams of light reveal all you need to know. Zetsu, those that don't witness dawn never truly appreciate the gift of day."

**"What are you implying?"**

"Hn. It wasn't my original intention, but it shall work perfectly… I'll just use… Akatsuki! Zetsu, inform that red-haired brat that I want to meet him and shall visit Amegakure in two days."

**"Is it wise to really trust him that much?"**

"We've got no other choice. He was chosen, after all, for the transplant. The plus point however is that he's easy to manipulate and thinks with his emotions. Besides… I need the Rinnegan." It was said with a hint of envy. "Sadly, I must wait until he fulfils his purpose before I extract it. Let's just play it smart. This is nothing but shogi… nothing but a battle of wits, meant to be played over the years."

In the next few seconds, the cave was empty again.

Konoha had just endured a catastrophe, but this wasn't the end of it… There was still danger, lying dormant, biding it's time.

* * *

**A/N 2:**** So how was it? I hope I got the emotions right. Writing Tensui and Shisui is a problem. We don't know what Shisui was like (but strangely, there seems to be some unspoken agreement on the site to write Shisui as an immature flirt, so I've decided to explore that). As for Tensui, I've got his personality when he grows up decided, but the growing years are tricky-worry not however! Soon, he's going to disappear for a while. [Oops. Spoiler alert... Meh, it can't be helped.]**

**Next time, we have the aftermath of Kurama's destruction and a time-skip. We'd get to see how the four students/apprentices of Minato turn out, as well as the the introduction of Team Seven and some other Rookies! **

**Anyway, please R&R.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3- Illusion**

**A/N: So here it is. This is a sort of transition chapter. I wanted to include a lot more, but it was getting too long. Enjoy!**

**Please bring any errors to my notice.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. **

* * *

Fugaku was pissed. If this continued, he would probably lose control of his stoic self and do something 'unbecoming', like sigh in exasperation or try pulling his hair out. Or maybe, lunge at one of the Clan Elders and try pulling his hair out. It was bad enough that the rest of his Clan was conspicuously absent during the Kyuubi's attack, and without his orders at that; and that his closest friend had just sacrificed himself (leaving him to adopt a seven year old boy), but this was simply ridiculous.

Finally, getting tired of the ranting Elders, Fugaku spoke up from his position directly in front of the panel of Elders.

"For the last time, Hakuchou-san," Fugaku began, ignoring the look of distaste thrown his way for not referring to the Council Elder as 'Hakuchou-sama' (ever since they had coerced him into sending a four year old Itachi into a warzone, in which he nearly lost his life, Fugaku had lost all respect for them), "why was an evacuation carried out without informing me?"

"If you must know Fugaku, there was a possible threat of a contamination of the Clan grounds. We would inform you about it if you weren't so busy paying social visits to the Hokage." The sentence was said with disgust, as if Fugaku had been doing something really dishonorable in their eyes, like cooking, or god-forbid, cleaning.

"And you did not care that my children were still at risk? Where did you get this report from, anyway? There hasn't been any such contamination since… there has NEVER been such a contamination before!" Fugaku nearly shrieked.

"My, my," a baggy old lady with an indignant expression spoke up, "it seems that that boy's habits are rubbing off on you." This was a common practice in the Clan meetings. They'd never refer to Minato as anything but 'boy', 'incompetent' or on rare occasions, 'Hokage' or 'Yondaime'. They'd contract tetanus before they added the suffix '-sama'.

"Stay out of this, Yuuga-san. Now tell me, why did you assume something so random, on the very day that this village faced peril? I don't buy it one bit!"

"Simple- we found a team of Aburames near our training grounds," another one replied, looking content, as if his answer would answer all of Fugaku's queries.

Fugaku didn't know what to say. He wondered if the Elders were speaking the truth about the contamination, since he was sure a six year old civilian could come up with better excuses.

"The Aburames, along with all other major clans of Konoha, have been given permission to train in these grounds" Fugaku ground out. "Also, what is the connection between them and your flimsy excuse? Speak directly, for I'm not above handing the ones involved in this decision to the Interrogation Squad."

"Such arrogance! Remember something Fugaku… You may be Clan Head, but the Council is fully capable of replacing you with-"

"You need a 5/8th majority for something like that. I hold a voting power of 2 votes, and the six of you have one vote each. I know for a fact that Kurohyou-san agrees with me, and Berugu-san is absent." Fugaku really hated direct confrontation, but today he was forced to raise his voice.

Kurohyou Uchiha, Obito's father, was the only Council member that supported Fugaku's decisions without making a fuss. However, since he was considerable young (or young compared to the near-ancient Uchiha Council members), they rarely gave his opinion any value. Still, he did have equal voting power, something that most of the old geezers regretted to this day.

Currently, he was busy helping out with arrangements for Minato and Kushina's funeral. He was really grateful to Minato for training and encouraging Obito, when the rest of the Clan looked at him as nothing but a failure. He was even ready to adopt Naruto, as a show of gratitude. However, considering the current attitude of the Council, both he and Hiruzen agreed that it wasn't a wise move.

"That leaves you with an incomplete majority. Even if you do manage to get Berugu-san's support, the final decision must be approved by the Hokage or the Acting Hokage. If you haven't already guessed, Hiruzen-sama is furious about the absence of the Uchiha Clan. Skip the threats get to the topic at hand, and give me an explanation!"

"That Yondaime was a bad influence on you. Anyway, I'll do as you wish, since you are too blind to see the truth. The Aburame Clan specializes in poisonous insects that-"

"Wait," Fugaku cut the elder off. "Are you suggesting that this… this non-existent contamination was an inside job? By Konoha?" Fugaku spoke in a low, grave tone. This meant that he was furious, and the Council members took the hint to back off.

"They hate us, yet they use us," one of them spoke in a slightly sympathetic tone. "Now is our opportunity. You must obtain the position of the Godaime Hokage, or install another trustworthy member as Hokage. We've been repressed lon-"

Fugaku couldn't believe his ears. It was the exact opposite- Minato often did Fugaku a great deal of favors. Nothing too major-things like a speedy arrest warrant, or consulting him with decisions involving internal affairs- but it made the Konoha Police Force's job and Fugaku's life much easier.

Minato had just died, and all they could think about was his position. Fugaku was fairly used to the conspiracy-theories the old bags would present him, but this was going too far. Their behavior was not only treacherous, but also angered him on a personal level.

"Minato was against us? Are you insane? Minato chose to train Obito, when no one else was willing to! When he became Hokage, he selected Itachi, Shisui and Tensui as his apprentices! Do you know why he did that? He took time out of his very busy schedule, to train three members of this Clan! It wasn't an obligation. It was a bloody favor!"

"Don't group that… that… half-breed with the rest of us! Also, once again, you fail to see the truth. You are still naïve and immature. I'll tell you why he did what he did. The Sharingan! Don't you see? The Sharingan is the strongest bloodline Konoha possesses, and therefore they try to harvest us!"

"That's right, Fugaku," another one chipped in. "Not only do we run the Police Force, but we also go the extra mile and send most of our men to the front lines of war! Look at Kagami-sama. His teammates went on to become the Hokage and his advisors, whereas he died in battle! What did he get in return? A flimsy mention on the memorial stone!"

"Elders, listen well." Fugaku decided that he'd had enough of this nonsense. "What we do for Konoha, we do happily. It's our duty to-"

"And look at him go!" another graying man mocked cruelly. Fugaku wasn't paying attention to their identities anymore, since for the first time, he felt as if the entire Council was his enemy. "They've made you another Senju Dog! How pathetic! I'm starting to think that Madara-sama was ri-"

"FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I'LL HAVE TO ARREST YOU FOR TREASON!" Fugaku thundered, his Sharingan turning on. "Now listen to me. Don't talk. Just keep shut and listen."

Taking a deep breath to calm him, Fugaku continued. "The. Shodai. Is. Dead. Madara. Is. Dead. Move past it. We've made peace with the Senju Clan. Now, we are a single Clan out of many, just like any other. Still, we've been getting a good deal of special treatment from the village. Be grateful for it, and don't expect more. I've told you time and again that the Hokage is chosen upon merits, so don't EVER bring it up again."

There was pin-drop silence after Fugaku finished.

"We're done here." Fugaku spoke menacingly, and stood and began to leave. He stopped at the threshold and growled, "I shall be giving my report to Sandaime-sama now. If you have anything to say in your defense," Fugaku turned and activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, "tell him."

With that, he slammed the door shut and began walking home.

'Nice job Fugaku,' he thought bitterly. 'Now, they're going to make your life more of a hell than it already is. It's pretty hard to imagine though, since they already make me want to move to Iwa.' He sighed, and began to level his breathing. Mikoto and the kids were already shaken up, and it wouldn't help if he walked in oozing murderous intent.

"Itachi," he said to no one in particular, "for your sake, I hope they're dead when you take over."

"That bad huh?"

Fugaku turned to see Jiraiya leaning against a tree.

"I feel like strangling a rabbit Jiraiya-sama," Fugaku spoke dryly, earning a cringe and a look of sympathy from the Sannin. No one deserved to get so riled up in his opinion. Fugaku didn't really know the man too well personally (though he respected him a lot), but Minato often spoke of his wisdom and mentioned that he gave really good advice.

"So, how did they react to the adoption issue?"

Fugaku's eyes widened, and for the hundredth time that day, he cursed his life. "It slipped my mind."

Meanwhile, the Council Elders sat in stunned silence. Normally, they'd be heatedly debating about how best to punish Fugaku (though these discussions only extended to theory), but they all recognized a threat when they saw one. They also remembered that Fugaku was exceedingly strong, not only in abilities as a shinobi, but also in stature, and that they would have to tread lightly from now on.

This wasn't a permanent development however, as in a few minutes, the discontent began.

"How do we deal with this?"

"He's blinded by those stupid Senju ideals."

"We must act now, for the Clan's sake."

"But how? You remember what he said, didn't you?"

Finally, Hakuchou spoke up. "Do nothing. Right now, Fugaku is like an immature child, though I don't entirely blame him. That Yondaime was a thorn in our side from the start… Anyway, leave him be."

"You surely aren't serious, are you? If we let this slide, he'll continue to show us disrespect and blindly make some more foolish choices."

"I'm perfectly serious Yuuga. We must lie low for now. The village is grieving the loss of the Yondaime; therefore we mustn't make an unnecessary spectacle. That will only give them an excuse to assail us. After all, their suspicions are logical. For now, we must bow. But worry not," Hakuchou's eyes gained a twisted gleam, "they will all be shown their place when the time is right."

Before anyone else could question him, he took his leave. 'Madara is dead huh?' he thought, grinning dangerously. Back then, when Fugaku had spoken these words during his outburst, Hakuchou was tempted to correct him. However, he held his tongue when he remembered the masked man's not-so-subtle threat. 'You couldn't be more wrong, Fugaku…'

* * *

It was a day like any other in Amegakure-dull, rainy and depressing. The citizens, on the other hand, were happy and cheerful. The reason was simply-God had visited their village, and after overthrowing the tyrannical Hanzo of the Salamander, He had begun a stern but protective rule over the village.

However, one room in particular echoed the atmosphere outside. It was a relatively dark room, lit only by a single bulb. There wasn't enough light to be able to read. The occupants of the room were an interesting lot.

Sprawled casually on a chair, was a man wearing an orange mask with a spiral design. Through the single eyehole, a Sharingan peered into the seeming darkness. Next to him was his personal spy and 'partner', Zetsu.

In front of him was a red-haired man with ringed eyes. His entire body seemed emaciated, and had various metallic piercings and rods in it. He sat upon a throne of sorts, which was more of a mechanical pod with crustacean-like legs. Nest to him stood an elegant, pristine lady with blue hair and a pierced lip. The eyes of both these persons were sunken and slightly hollow, with prominent dark circles (the red-haired man's much more intense than the lady's), which indicated that they hadn't stepped outdoor for quite a while, and that they were probably deprived of sleep.

All four occupants wore long, black cloaks, with the patterns of red clouds.

"So," began the masked man, "that's that."

"I understood everything about the Bijuu. What I don't understand is that even though you claim to be Madara, you were beaten quite handily by the Yondaime Hokage."

The masked man's Sharingan spun lazily, but he didn't rise to the bait. "The Yondaime was a strong man Nagato. However, it doesn't matter now. I couldn't care less whether you believe me or not. My powers have faded, yet the Yondaime is dead, and I am plotting my next scheme. Still, if you must be reassured, know that I didn't exploit my entire arsenal. If we were fighting to the death, I would have been victorious."

"What about manpower? We will need new members to support our cause. It is best if they are missing nin."

"Zetsu will be our eyes-he'll scout for new members." After a moment of thought, he added, "Look out for Akasuna no Sasori-a talented puppeteer from Sunagakure. He went missing quite recently, and I believe he has deserted the village. Also, in my time, there existed a famed bounty hunter named Kakuzu. The only time he blotched up was when he was made to assassinate Hashirama Senju. If I'm not wrong, he's still alive. I shall inform you of other potential members."

With that, the masked man stood to leave. However, six other figures entered the room.

"I want to show you something."

"Ah, so these are the weapons you used to vanquish Hanzo."

"Behold," Nagato declared, "Pein Rikudou! [The Six Paths of Pain]"

Tobi understood. It was a subtle threat.

"I don't trust you, Madara," Nagato spoke fearlessly, through the Tendou [Deva Path].

"The feeling is mutual. Frankly, you don't have much to lose by allying with me. After all, the Gedo Mazo is under your control." drawled Tobi. "Besides, I'd like it if we tried to respect, maybe even trust each other. We shall have many enemies in the future, and infighting will only be detrimental to the Akatsuki."

Without another word, Tobi teleported and Zetsu sunk into the ground.

"What's on your mind, Konan? You're uncomfortable."

Yes. Yes, she was so damn uncomfortable. She had, after all, not only witnessed the death of one of her two best friends, but had also seen Nagato-her other meek and kind best friend- go berserk and kill many hundreds of people. After that, he'd desecrated the corpses of the deceased friend Yahiko and five other people in favor of turning them into weapons.

"It's nothing. Madara unnerves me a bit."

"It will be fine, Konan. Now, I'm sending the Animal Path to scout the western half of the village. You take the eastern half."

Thus began a new chapter, with a deadly alliance.

* * *

**Time Skip- 7 Years**

* * *

Four tall, cloaked figures zoomed through the forests on the outskirts of the Fire Country in the wee hours of morning.

All of them wore similar attires-long, black cloaks, ANBU vests and pants, and black ANBU masks. These weren't ordinary ANBU masks, however. They were Dragon masks.

It had been a custom in Konoha to award Dragon masks to the strongest, most efficient ANBU Black Ops Squad. The dragon masks indicated that the group of individuals was not only strong, but that they needed to uphold the beliefs of Konoha, and by extension, the Will of Fire. The masks also meant that all four members were equal in status.

Coincidently, all four members of this squad not only had the Sharingan, but were also highly skilled in the art of Katon.

In a short while, the squad stopped in a clearing, and removed their masks.

"About freaking time we took a break!" Shisui exhaled. "Man Itachi-you sure know how to push a team to exhaustion and despair…not to mention you're barely thirteen!"

Itachi simply ignored the whining of his cousin, and looked to the sky. Surely enough, a raven flew into the clearing.

"Kokuei, what's the status?"

"All enemies have lost track of you, Itachi-san."

"Hn. Thank you. You may go."

"Itachi," Tensui asked, slightly irritated, "why are we fleeing from those incompetents?"

"We are low on chakra and exhausted. We shall rest for 30 minutes."

"Hn. Understood."

"What the heck Itachi?" Shisui started. "We could still have kicked their asses!"

Kakashi sighed at this, and Itachi ignored him in favor of inspecting his supplies. With a furrowed brow, Tensui explained things.

"Why is it that you put those grey cells to use in battle, but not in the company of three highly powerful, really stressed shinobi who would love to shut you up, eh? Since the four of us are worn out-and sleep deprived, which Itachi conveniently forgot-we aren't as efficient as usual. If one of those cronies escapes and reports to the Raikage, it'll create a whole bunch of problems for us. As it is, that hothead just wants an excuse to pick on poor old us. Besides, Itachi hates pointless fights." He finished with an exaggerated miserable expression.

The last bit was quite true, no matter how ridiculous it sounded for a shinobi. During Itachi's Chuunin and ANBU Entrance Exams, in the mass-participation tests, Itachi would simply cast a series of genjutsus that kept most of his opponents wandering about for hours, than seek a confrontation.

"You know, you could have spared the monologue and cut to the chase," Shisui teased.

"Itachi, do we require Shisui to possess a tongue for the remainder of our missions?"

Itachi smirked and Kakashi mused offhandedly, "No, not really. But then again, if we cut it off, he'll keep moaning and groaning."

Just as Shisui began to smile at Kakashi for supporting him, Kakashi added slyly, "Let's just rip out his voicebox. Everyone leaves happy."

The remainder of the 'break' was spent in small talk. Soon, it was time to leave.

"That's enough. We should leave if we want to get to the village before noon."

All three replied in unison, "Hai!"

Just like that, Shisui's slight grin, Kakashi's sleepy eye, Tensui's half-frown and Itachi's indifferent look, all vanished and were replaced by a singular expression-a stern, determined façade. They stopped giving the allusion of a cheerful man, a sleepy man, an apathetic man and an irritated man. Now, they radiated the 'approach us and die' vibes.

That's the way the four of them were. They were a group of close friends-almost family-that helped, supported, teased and corrected each other. All of them had different personality quirks, and insecurities. One of the few things all of them had in common was extreme loyalty to the village. Even though the four of them had aversions to needless killing, they'd do it for the safety of Konoha.

Hence, when it was the time for duties, they were no longer Itachi, Kakashi, Shisui and Tensui. They were four of Konoha's most deadly shinobi-cunning and ruthless-who, in the span of the six months they were active, had earned a collective bounty of 125,000,000 Ryo from Iwagakure and 140,000,000 Ryo from Kumogakure on their heads.

The squad put on their masks, and leapt into the treetops.

"So," Shisui began, "what are you gonna do when we reach the village? I for one am going to soak in the hot springs. You coming, Kakashi?"

"Nah, I'll pass. They keep pestering me about my mask. Besides, I've got to visit Obito." If it were someone else, Kakashi would fabricate a highly unconvincing lie to explain his absence.

"Fine. Itachi?"

"Don't be ridiculous Shisui. I have no interest in soaking in hot water in public, when I can simply do so at home. Besides, Sasuke hasn't seen me for five weeks-I doubt he'll be letting me out of his sight any time soon."

"Why do I even bother?"

"Beats me."

"Okay, smartass. Tensui, what's your plan?"

"Not sure. I shall probably go to the Forbidden Archives again."

"More reading? What jutsu are you working on now? You finished learning _Katon_, didn't you?" Shisui asked suspiciously. The fact was that unlike other shinobi who would mould chakra with handsigns and blow fire out of their lungs, Tensui had to follow another pattern to be able to use Fire Style. Using his ability to manipulate chakra, he would exhale the chakra itself, and then ignite it.

To figure this out, he would get Itachi, Shisui and occasionally Kakashi to use the _Katon: Goukyaku no Jutsu [Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu]_ repeatedly, and observe with his Sharingan. Shisui considered this a big ordeal.

"Yes, Shisui. Actually, I'm thinking about creating a few 'big' jutsus, which would probably have a Kinjutsu classification. I even have a few ideas figured out, but they're all still in the theoretical phase."

"Then I assume you're still trying to figure out _Mokuton._"

"Yes. Of all the Kekkei Genkai formed by combining different chakra elements, it appeals to me the most. However, there are very few details of it written in paper. I had been researching for two weeks before we left. So far, no luck."

"Hmm," Kakashi began, "if I'm not mistaken, Wood Style jutsus originate from the combination of _Suiton_ and _Doton_, right?"

"Yes. The issue is that unlike most other combination jutsus, Mokuton requires a lot of chakra investment, as well as a particular type of chakra. Not even the Nidaime Hokage could figure it out."

"Let's say you do find out the mechanisms of _Mokuton._ Is it worth it?" Itachi asked. "How long did you take to learn your previous jutsus?"

"It's an investment I'm quite willing to make. I do see your point, though. I focused on training the particular jutsu(s) for three hours daily, yet took me 11 months to master _Katon_, 8 months to master my chakra manipulation and another 7 for my clone jutsu."

"Have you completed it?" Shisui asked with a bit of enthusiasm.

"Almost. It should be ready for use in the next mission."

"What's the excitement about?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow.

"You wouldn't know. You were late when he told us. Anyway, I have no clue about the details, but Tensui says that he's created quite a unique clone jutsu."

"Ah, I see. So, Tensui has this mystery clone jutsu, Itachi has his Exploding Clones and his _Karasu Bunshin_, and I have my Lightning Clone Jutsu. That just leaves you, Shisui" Kakashi teased in a sing-song.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So _Mokuton_ and Kinjutsu aside, what else are gonna do, Ten-kun?"

"Call me that again and I'll convince Sandaime-sama to put you on missions with Guy for a year." Tensui smirked at the slightly mortified look Shisui gave him. "Anyway, I guess I'll visit Naruto. It's been a while since I met him."

"Why don't you just tell him the whole story?" Kakashi asked.

"It's not that simple. Sandaime-sama wanted to keep the identity of his parents a secret, so I'd have to honor that. Either way, he's generally too happy to have a friend, and isn't really nosy."

"Must be tough on him, don't you think Itachi?"

"I don't need to 'think', Shisui-I know. According to Sasuke's accounts, no one really interacts with him."

"Hn. Anyway, why don't you have Sasuke be friends with him? That was Mikoto-san and Okaa-san's grand plan."

"Two words, Tensui. Clan Elders. They get really intense when anything related to Sensei comes up." Even though the three of them had other Jounin instructors, Itachi, Shisui and Tensui still referred to Minato as 'sensei'.

"Oh, yeah. It's such a freaking drag…"

"Really?" Kakashi began, "You're using the signature phrases of the Naras?"

"They do have a point, Kakashi. In any case, I'm told by the Sandaime that Naruto is a lot like Jiraiya-sama was in his genin days. He also said that Sasuke had a strong resemblance to a genin Orochimaru… you know, before his descent into delusion, madness and sociopathic tendencies."

"All we need is a Tsunade… Hmm… Anyone got any suggestions?" Shisui enquired. Although he was wearing an ANBU mask, it was apparent to the others that his features were scrunched up in deep contemplation.

"From what I've told, Lady Tsunade was loud, had a fiery temper and a no-nonsense attitude."

"In that case Kakashi, I'd say the Yamanaka girl would fit the bill," Tensui reasoned.

The others simply looked in his direction.

"What? Sometimes I get there early when I visit Naruto. I pass time."

"Via voyeurism?"

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response. Anyway, one gets to see a lot of the Academy training exercises that go on. I must say, Naruto and Sasuke's batch will be something to look out for."

"Seems so."

The rest of the journey was spent in relative silence.

* * *

In a few hours, by morning, they materialized in the Hokage's office, and knelt before Hiruzen.

Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork, and cleared his throat. "At ease."

The four figures stood, and removed their masks.

"Well done. The mission was carried out perfectly-scrolls delivered safely, and not a soul knows that Konoha shinobi did it. Brilliant, though completely expected."

Tensui frowned-something wasn't right. Hiruzen rarely spent time giving meaningless compliments.

"You have another suicidal mission for us, don't you?"

Hiruzen sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry-I know that you probably exhausted, but according to the intelligence I've just received, it is-"

"Jiraiya-sama is in the village?" Shisui cut the Sandaime off.

"Well, ye-"

"FINALLY! Now I can get him to autograph my latest edition copy of Icha Icha Violence! Are you coming Kakashi?"

"Don't be foolish… Why get your latest issue autographed? I'm going to ask him to sign my vintage copy of Icha Icha Paradise."

"Are you insane? Everyone knows that the second book is much better than the first! And wow…vintage copy? I heard that only 50 were ever printed. Where did you buy it?" Shisui asked excitedly.

"You want one? That means you concede to the fact that Jiraiya-sama's first book is way better than the latest! Ofcourse, I'm not saying that Icha Icha Violence is bad, just that Icha Icha Paradise is so much cooler."

"Let's ask Jiraiya-sama! I can bet he'll agree with me!" Shisui shrieked.

"Unless you use a Genjutsu on him, keep dreaming…" Kakashi drawled lazily.

'They argue about the weirdest things,' Tensui sighed. 'Why not just get both books autographed? It's not like Jiraiya-sama has anything better to do anyway. Should I tell them?' Tensui looked at the two, with Shisui animatedly stating his case with appropriate (and some inappropriate) hand gestures, while Kakashi was shooting down Shisui's points with a stern 'are-you-fucking-kidding-me?' expression.

'Nope. This is hilarious!'

Meanwhile, Hiruzen was nursing a migraine and was sure he'd pop a vein if this went on. The thing was that he couldn't really punish the two, since they were important assets to the village. Finally, he couldn't take any more of Shisui's near-screeching, and Kakashi's nonchalant, yet conviction-filled replies.

"What is the mission, Hokage-sama?" Itachi interjected in an impassive monotone, before the Sandaime could go through with his scheme of having Enma throw the two out of his office.

Hiruzen sighed, and explained the mission. "We've confirmed that a base in the Earth Country has possession of some very important scrolls from Konoha. The scrolls contain Yamanaka, Inuzuka and Nara Clan jutsus, and were stolen a few months ago. The base is guarded by 20 Rock ANBU Squads, 8 of which are the Tsuchikage's Special Forces."

"The scrolls need to be retrieved, and the perpetrator needs to be found. There is no way that scrolls of such delicate nature could be stolen without it being an inside job. This is an S-Ranked Mission, and under NO circumstances should you be identified as Konoha nin. Luckily for us, the base is quite far from Iwagakure. Your mission scroll contains all necessary details about the base."

"Uhh… Hokage-sama," a sobered down Kakashi asked, "how do we avoid being identified when our fighting styles are so distinct?" Kakashi had a feeling he knew the answer.

"The base is guarded be 80 Stone ANBU, and houses some 20 odd workers. None of them must survive," Hiruzen said grimly. Then, he turned to Itachi and Shisui, and also a little bit towards Tensui, "You are permitted to use the Mangekyou Sharingan."

The two shinobi in question nodded silently, recognizing the gravity of the situation. When the squad was newly formed, on one of their first missions, they were ambushed. Even though ANBU Squad Ryuu (nicknamed by Jiraiya himself) completed the mission, they were barely alive when they made it to Konoha. At a certain point during this mission, both Itachi and Shisui were convinced the other was dead. The sorrow, combined with the desperation to escape alive, enabled both of them to activate the Mangekyou Sharingan. Itachi's _Tsukuyomi_, and Shisui's _Kotoamatsukami_ allowed the team to survive. However, due to the nature of the jutsu, they were rarely allowed to use it.

"You must leave tomorrow, at dawn. Kakashi, you're Team Captain for this mission. Please don't be late. This is a matter of utmost delicacy. Unfortunately, I cannot deploy more that one squad without catching attention…"

Hiruzen stood and turned to the window. "Needless to say, I'm counting and depending on you. Good luck," he said as he lit his tobacco pipe.

And just like that, the four shinobi were gone.

Hiruzen sighed, and remembered the warning Minato had given him soon after he adopted Tensui.

_"Is he adapting well?"_

_"Sarutobi-sama, in the future, we mustn't give Tensui missions regularly. It is best if we space the ones that require assassinations… say about a three months apart."_

_"What calls for such provisions?"_

_"The reason is simple. Even though he doesn't recall much, his subconscious knows what has happened. As a result, it has devised a defense mechanism."_

_"That is?"_

_"Loss of emotion. To cut off ties before someone does it for you."_

_"Don't be ridiculous Minato. He has plenty of emotion-granted that it's mainly irritation and anger-it's still present."_

_Minato chuckled. "That's where you're wrong, Sarutobi-sama. Even the irritation is part of the defense mechanism. He uses it as a premise to deceive others-to seclude his mind. As for anger, he doesn't have any. That's what worries me."_

_"I don't understand."_

_"When we played shogi, he wouldn't be above sacrificing a piece just to foil my strategy. What does that tell you?"_

_"I'm not so sure. However, that does seem like something Danzo would do."_

_"Exactly. On an instinctive level, he doesn't possess any primal emotions-anger, fear, sorrow, happiness, love, hate. He hasn't shown any signs of them being present. It's not because he has disposed of them, just that he's bottled them up. He does possess the less intense emotions like irritation, apprehension, cheerfulness, attachment, disgust."_

_"Wouldn't that make him a good shinobi?"_

_"That's not the point. The Root operatives have no qualms about morals-that's because they've eliminated emotions. Tensui has simply bottled them up, and when the bottle is full…"_

_"…you either let it crack or you dispose it." Hiruzen's eyes widened as he completed the sentence. It was one that Hashirama had said, but no one understood the underlying meaning until now. It was Hashirama's way of saying-don't buy into that 'shinobi must discard emotions' crap._

_"Yes. One of two things will happen. Either the bottle will crack, causing him to snap and let all of the emotions out. Depending on what emotion has been bottled up the most, different things can happen. If it is sorrow, he may turn suicidal. If it is anger or fear, he may lose his sanity and go on a rampage. If it is hate, he may get driven by revenge-you know the consequences of that, don't you?"_

_"You mean Madara?"_

_"Yes. The other thing is that his subconscious goes the extra mile and he does lose all emotion. That's quite dangerous. Even Danzo has emotions like loyalty, which draw boundaries. In Tensui's case, it could me much worse-he could lose all inhibitions. That's essentially what makes a sociopath."_

_"This is more serious than I thought."_

_"Exactly. That's why I get worried when he doesn't show any deep emotion-especially when he's supposed to."_

_"Minato, I have a query. People lose someone close to them all the time. Something like this rarely comes up. What has caused it?"_

_Minato took a deep breath. "Lack of closure. When one loses someone or something close to him, there is a grieving process. He goes through depression, rage, fear, insecurity and other such emotions. He generally has someone to support him during this phase. In Tensui's case," Minato's face turned sad, "his memories were suppressed soon after. All that sorrow and anger that should have been let out, has been bottled up. In layman terms, it's subconscious denial."_

_Hiruzen looked anguished. Until recently, he never really appreciated the Yamanaka Clan. Now he understood how complicated the human mind is._

_"Hence my initial request. Regarding such missions, where ones morals are challenged, every shinobi has some way of dealing with it. For Tensui, it will probably be suppressing the trauma. It's dangerous for everybody. Not only that, but I'm sure his genetic constitution will be coveted. The Senju Clan is dying out as it is, and the Uchiha Clan hates what's left of them. Either of the events can put his bloodline and his life in danger."_

_"How do we counter this?"_

_"Simple. Tread lightly. Don't overwork him. In fact, don't overwork anyone-we shall follow this principle."_

Now, Hiruzen had sent the four of them to kill a hundred men.

'Did I make a mistake? Damn it brat! Why must you be so messed up?'

* * *

After their dismissal, all four of them went separate ways. Kakashi and Shisui went to get their respective copies of Icha Icha signed by Jiraiya, and Tensui decided to skip reading in favor of meeting Naruto. Itachi wanted to go straight home, but decided to surprise Sasuke by picking him up instead.

The two of them walked to the Academy, instead of rushing along rooftops.

The Sandaime had allowed Itachi and Shisui to use the Mangekyou Sharingan-an extremely high level jutsu with severe repercussions on the user's health. It meant only one thing-this was a very serious affair. The only thing the four of them wanted to do was to distract themselves for the rest of the day. Being given a semi-suicidal mission where the four Sharingan users had to kill about a hundred men-most of who were high class shinobi-was NOT what they wanted to think about.

Tensui smiled, thinking about the group. Spending time with people who knew a lot more about his past than he did was a bit odd at first for Tensui. In time, as they got closer, he overcame the apprehensions. Now, they weren't just friends-they were family that understood each other.

That was why Kakashi didn't have to fabricate a lie when he wanted to visit the memorial; why Itachi didn't need to hide the fact that he rarely trained Sasuke because he didn't want him to catch the Uchiha Council's attention; why Shisui didn't have to shy away from the fact that since he didn't know his own parents well, he needed attention and approval from somewhere, due to which he was willing to go to any lengths to please the Council and the village; why Tensui didn't have to explain that the reason he would be found standing in the middle of an isolated lake at midnight, staring into the moon in a trancelike state was that he just wanted to escape this world, even if only for 30 minutes.

"So," Itachi began, "will you be coming over? Ever since you moved out, Okaa-san has been pestering me about not inviting you over."

"I'll come over for dinner. Will that work?"

"Perfectly."

"How is Sasuke doing? Naruto told me he's top of the class."

"Hn."

"Does he train hard?"

"Extremely. He seems to want to impress Otou-san. However, compared to my achievements, Otou-san doesn't really pay Sasuke any mind." It wasn't said with pride-merely as an observation.

"Really? I didn't think Fugaku-san would give Rank that much value. I mean-alright, we graduated quite early, with you becoming Chuunin at 10 and me at 11- but that doesn't necessarily mean that we're successful 'coz of it."

"He doesn't. If I'm not mistaken, it is a way of discouraging Sasuke from aiming very high. You know how the Council gets. However... he's changing. The Council is giving him a really hard time."

"Anyway, Naruto and Sasuke don't really get along very well, do they?"

"From what I've been told, they keep trying to outdo each other."

"That means if I hang around with you and your brother for more than a few seconds, Naruto will spend the day sulking, right?"

"Buy him Ramen. He'll forgive you."

"Ofcourse. Are you carrying your Katana or Wakizashi for tomorrow's mission?"*

"My Wakizashi. You know I don't generally prefer Katanas. Besides, my Katana isn't crafted by Tanso-san."

"Ah, yes. I assume Kakashi will bring his father's White Light Chakra Sabre. What about Shisui? He hasn't decided upon a specialized sword yet, has he?"

"He's still upset that Tanso-san couldn't finish his order. He was, after all, the third best weapon craftsman in the world."

"But that's because he died… the man was 96 years old as it is. And why doesn't Shisui purchase a sword from one of the other two?"

"Because he wants his to be crafted out of chakra-conducting alloy, like your Katana and Kunai set is. The best and second best craftsmen get their titles due to forging skills, and not overall sword quality. They're based in Kiri, and the Water Country doesn't possess the required minerals. Infact, only the Wind Country-which is our ally-does. What got him sulking is the fact that you were able to get three identical weapon-sets made, but Tanso-san passed away before he could get started on Shisui's"

"Well, I knew he would die soon, and hence had my weapons crafted as soon as possible. That's the reason I asked him to make three sets. It's quite likely that my Katana gets damaged in 4-5 years, and I don't want to settle for mediocre weapons. Luckily, I'm still on my first. I asked Shisui to come along with me that day, but he wanted to go to the hot springs instead. I believe his exact words were-"Don't fret, dude! That geezer will live forever."" Tensui smirked. "Fate is cruel indeed."

"What did you get him to craft, anyway?"

"Nothing much, just basic weapons. Each 'set' contains a Katana, 20 Kunai and a pair of Sai-which I doubt I'll get to use. Come to think of it, I could probably give a pair to Shisui. They're in mint condition, and are made of the same alloys my Kunai and sword are made of. He'll be happy, and incase I change my mind, I have two pairs sitting at home guarded be a Barrier Jutsu."

"They'll suit him," Itachi agreed.

"When and where is Kakashi meeting us in the morning?"

"At 6:00am, by his bedside when we go to wake him up," Itachi replied dryly.

Not much conviction was put into the small talk the two engaged in, but it served its purpose. Soon, Itachi and Tensui were standing at the gates of the Konoha Academy.

* * *

It was a regular day at the Academy, and as with all regular days, everyone went through hell before being dismissed. 'Hell' referred to Ninjutsu practice.

Ordinarily, it comprised of a lecture on chakra molding and handsigns-it was boring at best.

However, since the semester was getting over, the students were required to put their knowledge in practical application. Hence, an hour before dismissal, the class was led to a training ground behind the main building. Here, they were required to perform whatever ninjutsu they could.

It gave the students an amount of freedom, since they didn't have to stick to a particular portion, but considering that the students were eight year olds, it was hell.

Bruises, chakra exhaustion and embarrassment was the order of the day.

In all this, one soul stood out.

Sasuke Uchiha.

He was the only one who was able to perform some 'actual ninjutsu' as opposed to the Clone Jutsu and Substitution Jutsu that others would perform.

The girls fawned over him, the boys admired him and Naruto hated him.

"Alright," Iruka began, "Sasuke, why don't you begin?"

Sasuke smirked. Unlike before, he could perform more than just the Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu [Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu]. Fugaku had just taught him the Grand Fireball.

'Damn it!' Naruto thought. 'Always showing off.' He was looking at the dreamy expressions of all the girls in his class, especially a pink haired girl with green eyes.

'I have to do something fast, or I'll never be able to impress Sakura-chan. She doesn't like me as it is'

It was true-most of his classmates looked at Naruto as if he was an irritating pimple-with disgust and hatred. At best, some were indifferent.

"So Sasuke-kun," began Iruka, "what will you show us today? Have you mastered the Dragon Fire Jutsu?"

"Even better. Stand back."

Everyone watched in awe as Sasuke began forming handsigns fluently. Then, he inhaled and exclaimed,_ "Katon: Goukyaku!"_

Even Iruka was impressed as Sasuke created a fireball about eight meters in diameter. After the jutsu died out, there was stunned silence.

'Aww… here it comes,' Naruto thought despondently. The first time Sasuke performed a Katon, there was a lot of applause and enthusiasm-Iruka didn't even assign him any homework for a week! Even Naruto was impressed this time.

The sound of slow clapping cut to the silence, and everybody turned to their lefts to identify the source. Sasuke froze.

"Very good Sasuke," Tensui began. "That was a big fireball."

However, it wasn't Tensui who caught Sasuke's attention.

"N-nii-san?"

Itachi smiled.

Then Sasuke did a totally 'uncool' thing. He squealed, and ran to give Itachi a hug.

Sasuke's classmates didn't know how to react. Should they introduce themselves to these men who Sasuke clearly admired? They seemed to be quite powerful. Should they give Sasuke privacy?

Tensui stepped forward and spoke with a jovial expression on his face, "Hey Iruka. Long time no see, eh?"

When Tensui was around children, it was one of the rare times he'd have a real, happy smile on his face.

"Hello Tensui. You aren't allowed inside."

"Sue me." He turned to the class. "Still tormenting the poor guys with ninjutsu classes? They have plenty of time to learn."

"No, they don't. I presume you're back from a mission."

Tensui sighed.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Itachi finished greeting each other, and Sasuke was tugging Itachi forward excitedly by his cloak. He obviously wanted to show his super-cool super-powerful brother off.

"Nii-san, meet my classmates."

Itachi sweat-dropped, as a group of 25 odd eight year-olds scrutinized him.

"Hello, my na-"

"This is Itachi-nii-san and that is Tensui-nii-san. They both are ANBU!"

"Sasuke, you're not supposed to reveal that," Itachi said in a deadpan.

"Uhh… right" Sasuke managed sheepishly.

Meanwhile, other children were forming their own opinions.

'THEY'RE SO COOL! AND HANDSOME! AND I BET THEY'RE POWERFUL TOO!'-this was the general line of thought of most of the girls.

Naruto, on the other hand, was pissed beyond limits. 'Not only does Sasuke know a totally awesome jutsu, but he also knows Tensui? Damn it! Tensui is MY friend!'

The conversations around him only served to irk him more.

"Man, no wonder Sasuke knows all kinds of awesome things," Kiba whispered. "I wish my mom would start paying more attention to me and not just to my sister!"

"Consider yourself lucky," Shikamaru deadpanned.

Ino nudged him in the ribs, and spoke up.

"I'm-"

"Wait," Tensui interrupted offhandedly. "Let me guess. Ino Yamanaka. You're Kiba Inuzuka. Shikamaru Nara. Chouji Akimichi. Hinata Hyuuga. Shino Aburame…" He went on to name all of Sasuke's classmates, until a few remained. They probably weren't from any notable clan, hence Tensui didn't recognize them. Out of the handful, four were boys who were probably sons of Chuunin or Jounin. The fifth child was a girl with pink hair and emerald eyes.

'Curses! Now I'm going to look like an idiot! I should really think these things through...'

"I'm sorry, but I do not know your names. We'll have to get acquainted later."

Sakura looked downtrodden, but she was a little used to this. Whenever she walked home with Ino and Shikamaru, people would recognize and talk to them, and generally ignore her. She knew it was nothing personal, just that she wasn't from a famous clan. Still, it affected her more than she cared to admit. She bit her lip to hold back a tear.

Tensui noticed and sighed. The other four didn't seem to care whether he recognized them or not. She obviously had some unresolved confidence or identity issues. He'd have to make it up to her sometime. However, he had a more important task. He turned towards the sulking Naruto.

"And you-you're the reason I'm here."

There was a collective gasp from the group. No one ever spoke to Naruto as far as they knew. Tensui half expected dramatic music to start playing.

"Iruka, do you mind if I borrow Naruto for a while? Ofcourse you don't… Anyway, I want to take him out for lunch."

"Wait-wha-what? You came to pick me up?"

"Ofcourse Naruto. Why else would I be here? To give your class a demonstration of a high ranked jutsu?" Tensui said incredulously.

Sadly, there was a collective cheer from the class.

"Crap. Me and my big mouth… Itachi, I think Shisui is rubbing

off on me."

Itachi smirked. "Noted."

"Well," Iruka began after pacifying the mob, "why don't you? Consider it payment for letting Naruto leave early."

"Sasuke too."

"Deal."

"Fine. Stand back kids. Itachi," Tensui met his teammates gaze, "any suggestions?"

Itachi got the drift. If the kids were impressed by Tensui, they wouldn't give Naruto all that much trouble.

"Surprise me."

Tensui seemed to think about it for a while. "Sure. Itachi, you remember me telling you that I know 11 Katon jutsus, right?"

"Hn. But you've just showed us five," Itachi goaded.

"Well, prepare for number six. It is one of _his_ jutsus."

Itachi's eyes widened for a second, before they shone in amusement. "This should be good."

"Okay class," Iruka began in his 'teacher' tone, "pay careful attention to the handsigns."

"Don't be stupid Iruka. I don't, or should I say can't, use handsigns."

With that, he took a deep breath, brought one hand to his lips in a half-tiger sign, and exhaled.

_"Katon: Kouka Messhitsu! [Fire Style: Magnificent Fire Destruction]"_

The resulting streak of fire was enough to make Sasuke's previous jutsu look like a candle flame.

"Well, you certainly did take me by surprise," Itachi commented lightly after a moment.

"What did you expect? It was one of _his_ four original Katon jutsus."

"There goes the training ground," Iruka sighed.

Tensui turned to the not-for-the-first-time-stunned-today class innocently. "That concludes the demonstration. Goodbye."

With that, he walked away, a flabbergasted Naruto in tow.

Soon, the audience snapped out of it.

"Holy CRAP! That-was-wicked!"

* * *

"So, how's life?" Tensui mentally slapped himself for using such a pathetic ice-breaker. Ever since the little 'show' he'd put on at the Academy, Naruto kept eyeing him time and again.

"Can you train me?"

"What? Why?"

"What do you mean, why? 'Coz you're awesome and strong!" Naruto cheered, and began to gobble down his forth bowl of ramen.

"I might be able to teach you a few tricks, Naruto, but like I've told you, I have a ton of missions to complete. I just returned from one."

"How about tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Tensui paused and wondered whether he too should flick Naruto on the forehead, but decided against it. "I have another mission tomorrow, and need to prepare for it. As it is, I'm exhausted, sleep deprived, and that 'trick' I pulled off earlier has drained me of the last of my chakra."

"Oh… It's okay. Umm… can I ask you something?"

"Go on."

"Who was my father? Everyday, many of my classmates' fathers or mothers come to pick them up. Today when you came, for the first time, I felt like I had a parent."

Tensui nearly cringed at Naruto's sullen expression.

"I've come to pick you up quite a few times… fifteen to twenty at that."

"Yeah, but today was the first time that my classmates saw you. It's just… I don't know why they hate me so much. I think it's because I'm just a failure, with no one to care for him. Apart from you, only the old man and Iruka-sensei actually talk to me."

"Well, now you have a new friend."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm sure Itachi would love to be your friend."

"Why would he want to-"

"People have their reasons Naruto. Sometimes one should simply accept things. As for your parents, the answer is yes. I knew them… quite well. Infact they asked me to look after you. Sadly I'm rarely in the village."

These words meant more to Naruto than he could care to describe. His parents did care for him!

"Who were they?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I cannot tell you that. Your father had quite a few enemies, and if they found out you are his son, it'll cause a lot of problems. Don't worry though-your father could beat up all your classmates' fathers no sweat!" Tensui gave Naruto a tender smile, before assign as an afterthought, "Your mother could beat most of them too."

Naruto smiled, but couldn't help but ask, "You really cannot tell me? I mean if I'm the only other one that knows, I shouldn't be in danger, right?"

"If you put it that way Naruto, then yes." Tensui's eyes darkened, and he stared into space. "However, you'll learn that not knowing something is better at times. Just have patience. You'll know when the time is right."

"Uhh… okay…"

"Anything else bothering you, kid?"

"Well, there is one other thing. Why am I so useless?" Naruto asked with a determined look.

"You aren't useless Naruto. You still have a lot of time to grow and learn. Trust me on this-just believe in yourself. And most importantly, don't forget your friends."

"What friends? Other than you, I don't have any friends."

Tensui smirked. "I have a feeling that that's going to change soon."

"Eh?"

"Anyway, I should get going."

"Okay, I guess," Naruto said halfheartedly, the sorrow evident in his eyes.

Tensui reached into his pocket, and pulled out a thick wad of money, before tossing it to a flabbergasted Naruto.

"That's a few hundred thousand Ryo, Naruto. Don't spend it all on ramen. Go to the weapon store tomorrow, and buy yourself a set of kunai, two boxes of shuriken and a medium quality tanto. Also buy yourself a chakra-detecting paper to know your chakra type, and buy scrolls of D-Ranked jutsu of that element."

"I can't take this… It's yours."

"Don't worry about it Naruto," Tensui waved off. He had a great deal of money from all the A and S-Ranked missions his team had completed. "You can pay me back later."

"Bu-but wait. Even if I buy all those things, I suck at it all."

"Naruto, believe in yourself. I do, and I know that you'll be fine. Train hard and you'll improve. Trust me on this." With that, Tensui began walking out of the shop. He turned at the threshold and added with a grim expression.

"Oh and one more thing. I cannot stress this enough. When you're out of chakra, STOP training."

"S-sure. A-and thank you for visiting me."

"No problem, Naruto." Tensui started to leave, but then turned around, and hugged Naruto. "You're like a brother to me."

With that, he left.

Naruto sat there for the next fifteen minutes, stunned out of his mind.

'Now I know why Sasuke worships his big brother so much…They're awesome!' Naruto thought with tears in his eyes.

Belatedly, he realized that today, he'd experienced the feeling of having not only a brother, but also a friend and a guardian. And he loved it.

Tensui chuckled to himself as he walked to his apartment. 'The look on his face was priceless...' he mused. 'Oh, Naruto. I know what it's like to have to fend for yourself from the beginning. I'd love to spare you the pain.'

* * *

**A/N 2: Well, that's that. The next chapter will have a LOT of action and drama. I hope this one wasn't boring. Quite frankly, I enjoyed writing it, and hope you enjoy reading it just as much.**

*** A Wakizashi is a short sword.**

**I've used a few other Japanese words (names), but I doubt there'll be any use in putting their meanings up.**

**Anyway, please R&R.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4-Departure**

**A/N: So here it is... the forth chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Edit: Fixed some spelling mistakes.**

* * *

The next morning, three figures snuck into an apartment.

"I can't believe Kakashi is still sleeping," Shisui whispered. "You'd think he would have gotten fed up with the stereotype, but he's totally unaffected."

"Itachi, do the job," Tensui said in a serious tone.

Itachi walked into the adjoining room, where Kakashi was fast asleep, tangled in half a dozen quilts. Itachi made sure to be quiet, as the slightest sound could wake Kakashi up.

Slowly, he formed a few handsigns, and a miniature water dragon arose from the bucket of freezing cold water in the bathroom, and flew towards Kakashi.

Then, it fell on the Copy Ninja's face in a united blob. As a result, Kakashi leapt four feet in the air, formed a half-assed Chidori and got into fighting stance. He relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Man, that wasn't very polite, Ita-"

"Cut the crap, Kakashi. We need to leave," Tensui grumbled from the next room.

"Oh, alright. Give me five minutes to get ready."

The three shinobi walked outside the apartment, and waited for Kakashi. Shisui pulled out a copy of the Icha Icha series, held it in one hand, put his other hand casually in his pocket, leant against the wall and started reading. Sadly for Shisui, this wasn't unnoticed.

"Shisui," Itachi began, "why are you imitating Kakashi while reading?"

"Uh… what are you talking about Itachi? I always read like this."

"Shisui," Tensui began with no small amounts of amusement, "we aren't academy students. Don't bullshit us."

"I'm not. And speaking of academy students, I heard through a grapevine that you put on quite a show for a bunch of seven year olds. I cannot believe you wouldn't tell us that you had learnt Madara Uchiha's Fire Style jutsus."

"Nothing to tell… and don't make such a big deal out of it. Those jutsus take up a lot of chakra. The one I used yesterday used about 10% of my total chakra pool, and even though I wasn't at my best, it's nothing to brag about. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. What happened?"

"Well… when Kakashi and I went to get our autographs from Jiraiya-sama, we asked him which installment of Icha Icha he found better. Not only does that… that… PERVERT side with Kakashi, but he also says that Kakashi looks "hip and cool" while reading the book. He asked Kakashi to star in the advertisement of his Collector's Edition Icha Icha set! Can you believe that?"

"As a matter of fact Shisui, we can."

"Some cousin you are."

"Oh, by the way Shisui," Tensui pulled out a pair of Sai made out of a dark grey and black metal and tossed them towards Shisui, "I thought you might like these. I honestly doubt I'd be using them any time soon."

"Thanks," Shisui managed as he eyed the weapons carefully, "though I'd be happier if you'd just give me a Katana…"

"Don't be ridiculous. Over my dead body… though the barriers I've put up around my quarters shall be pretty intact even if I die… so yeah-over my dead body if you manage to find someone capable of undoing the seals."

"Ha-ha. Hilarious," Shisui stated dryly. "though the Sai do seem to suit me."

Kakashi emerged soon after, and the four shinobi sped off towards Konoha's gates.

* * *

Itachi, Shisui, Kakashi and Tensui had been planning for a few hours, and now were finally ready. They were located half a mile away from their targets, and were simply waiting for the right moment to attack.

Contrary to popular belief, the optimal time to infiltrate and attack in such a manner was at dusk, not midnight. At dusk, the guards on the day-shift would be exhausted, and those that would work the night-shift would probably be sleepy or dull. Most maintenance issues would generally be tackled at dusk, so no one was as alert as they would be. Finally, very few people actually expected an attack at dusk. Hence, ANBU Team Ryuu would attack at dusk, which was half an hour away.

The four shinobi, now dressed in plain, dark blue clothing sans headband, were under discussing the finer points of strategy.

"So," Kakashi rounded up, "we need to find the source of the leak. As far as we know, the relations between Konoha and Iwa have always been hostile at best, so we probably have a spy or a traitor in our midst. We need to find someone we can interrogate. If the scrolls are being held here, the prospective buyers will probably come soon. This mission needs 100% efficiency. Finally, even though we were given the order to ensure no one survives, don't be reckless. We need information, which tends to work out best if the captive is alive."

"Shisui," Tensui began, "can you use _Kotoamatsukami_?"

"Yeah, but only from one eye. The other still needs two months to recharge."

"That won't do… Itachi, incase we get the opportunity to collect valuable information, use your _Tsukuyomi_. Boy Shisui," Kakashi began in a playful tone, "is your Mangekyou Sharingan that useless?"

"No it isn't! I can use other Genjutsu, but they're just variations of the normal paralysis or mirage based Genjutsu. Only Kotoamatsukami takes four months to recharge. And that's a major improvement."

"Really?"

"Actually it is, Kakashi," Tensui said. "I've read that of the very meager Uchiha Clan members that could access _Kotoamatsukami_, the recharge time was about ten years. When Shisui first began, it was five months for him, though he has improved. However, jutsu of this type also depend on the Kekkei Genkai's relationship with ones DNA."

"And that means?"

Itachi answered for him, "Suppose we get fed up of Shisui, kill him and gouge his eyes out to sell in the black market, then the poor fool who buys them and implants them will probably have to deal with a recharge time of a decade."

"Hmm… interesting. Do the scriptures tell you all this?"

"No, the Ancient Tablet does. The only reason I'm telling you about this is because you have the Sharingan and will probably need the information. Anyway, along with the Tablet are three ancient scrolls that can only be read by a Mangekyou Sharingan."

"Yes," Itachi agreed. "However, here comes the impressive and surprising part. You see Kakashi; the Mangekyou isn't an ordinary Doujutsu. Each eye possesses a single jutsu. With training, this limit can probably be pushed on to two jutsus and their variants. When someone awakens it, they already possess one jutsu. I started off with Tsukuyomi in my right eye and Shisui with Kotoamatsukami in his right eye. Sadly, in his haste, Shisui assigned the jutsu to his other eye as well."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Well, the advantage is that Shisui can use it more often. The disadvantage is that both his eyes contain _Kotoamatsukami_ in their Primary Slots, as they are called. However, a Mangekyou can 'learn' another Mangekyou Sharingan jutsu."

"How?"

"It's a slightly complicated process which is explained in one of the scrolls, which involves a variation of the Sharingan's 'copy' ability. Hence, a master of the Mangekyou can learn up to four different jutsu."

"Impressive."

"What's more intriguing is the other scroll. It lists all the Mangekyou jutsus known and how to perform them, but strangely enough, the description of a particular jutsu can only be read by a Mangekyou Sharingan that possesses the same jutsu. Therefore, we cannot learn new jutsu from that scroll."

"That's ironic, but marvelous nonetheless. To think that such methods of keeping secrets exist."

"Not surprising," Tensui began in his patented grumble, "considering the power these jutsu hold. Shisui can make anyone he wishes his puppet in one move, and Itachi can trap his victim in an illusion that actually warps time. I suppose that a full powered _Tsukuyomi_ is the only jutsu that can alter time itself… Itachi, what is your limit?"

"One day, though I can make each second feel like a minute. On the downside, using the Doujutsu causes pain and fatigue, and slight deterioration of vision. It isn't meant to be used as anything but a la-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you Itachi," Tensui began, "but my clone has figured that we must attack in five minutes."

"How can you tell from here?" Itachi inquired as the four shinobi started walking silently towards the target site. He, along with the other two wanted to know what Tensui's Clone Jutsu was all about, especially considering that Tensui needed seven months or so to create it, whereas normal Clone Jutsus didn't require more than a month to create.

"Oh," Tensui began with a mischievous gleam in his crimson eyes, "my clones are special."

"I don't see how. You just said '_Kanpeki Bunshin no Jutsu! [Perfect Clone Jutsu!]_' and a single clone split itself out of your body."

"Well Kakashi, one of the advantages is that the clone is highly durable, and can survive fatal injuries long enough to be healed-just the real me would. Secondly, it doesn't just divide my chakra equally-it does so to my entire chakra pool."

"Hmm… That means that both you and your clones would be able to recover chakra, albeit at a slower rate than usual."

"Yes. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of the jutsu, I can only form one clone now. Even with rigorous training, I doubt that number will go above three."

"Isn't that a waste?"

"No, because when a clone is destroyed, it returns a portion of chakra it still has back to the user. Currently, it's twenty percent. I aspire to push that up to fifty percent, which is the limit if the clones must remain stable."

"But Tensui," Itachi said, "if you invest the same amount of chakra into Shadow Clones and Perfect Clones, the many not-so-durable Shadow Clones clearly give you an advantage over the few, more durable Perfect Clones. Surely this isn't all there is to it… you spent seven months on the jutsu-something that's unheard of when dealing with Clone Jutsus."

"Ah Itachi. Perceptive as ever. Yes, there is one advantage that sets this jutsu above the other clone jutsus-the only exception probably being Hashirama's Wood Clones. It is this aspect that took so long to develop."

"Just tell us already!"

"Patience, Shisui. You'll see later."

"We're here.," Kakashi said, taking the responsibility as Team Leader.

* * *

The bottom of the sun had just touched the horizon, and the dome-shaped stronghold in the Earth Country was bathed in orange. It was pretty big for a temporary base, with a diameter of roughly 500 meters. It almost reminded Shisui of a miniaturized Uchiha Clan Hideout. However, unlike that stronghold, this was situated on a dry, rocky plane,

The dome was surrounded by a wall of sorts, with guards stationed on them. From what information was gathered, the inner lining of the wall supported minor structures such as housing facilities, bath houses and storerooms.

Seven eyes with crimson pupils scrutinized the dome from behind a cropping.

"Okay," Kakashi whispered, "this should be enough. Remember-the dome houses an extensive labyrinth. The middle portion of it is roofless, hence we'd be seen easily by anyone with a decent vantage point. At the center, there is a small tower-barely 30 feet tall-that is highly guarded. The scrolls are probably there. We regroup at the compound surrounding the tower. No doubts, I hope."

The other three merely nodded affirmative.

"Tensui, bring the diversion."

"An explosion or just something flashy?"

"Something that wouldn't make a noise, but would still distract the first line of guards. Don't cause an explosion, as it might attract the attention of the other ANBU and ANBU-SF (A/N: ANBU-Special Forces. Not a real thing, just something I dubbed for convenience) squads. Also, remember that even Rock Shinobi can create explosions using their chakra."

"Please give me some credit Kakashi," Tensui said as he began molding and gathering chakra at a point a few hundred meters away from the hiding spot. "Unlike those amateurs, I don't require the assistance of animate objects to cause destruction."

"Ready…"

Itachi, Kakashi and Tensui's clone [which carried Tensui's kunai holster] crouched, ready to pounce.

Shisui went through a rapid sequence of handsigns.

"Tensui, now!"

Tensui channeled some of his own fire nature chakra, and created a spark. As a result, a streak of fire appeared at the designated spot in a manner of remote fireworks. It was gone a second later, but it managed to catch the attention of more than half the guards on the wall of the stronghold.

Just as the fire went out, Shisui pumped a considerable amount of chakra into his feet and channeled some into the Sai he held.

_"Shunshin! [Body Flicker!]"_

He was gone an instant later. Soft gasps of pain and the thudding of corpses falling to the ground could be heard from multiple locations. Soon, all the twenty odd guards were dead, most not knowing what hit them.

Shisui made haste into the control room, and activated a switch that would open one of the gates.

"GO!" Kakashi barked, and Itachi dashed off, followed by Tensui and his clone (both of which were brandishing hot, glowing, chakra-powered weapons). Kakashi waited for three seconds, after which he followed.

Four standard ANBU squads ran towards the gates to investigate. The second Itachi slipped in, he unleashed a barrage of low-key genjutsus designed to slow enemies down.

Tensui and his clone shot in next, and while his clone began attacking with chakra-infused kunai, Tensui took a more direct approach.

_"Chakra Senbon"_ he mumbled, as he rolled out of the way of a low-level Doton jutsu, and extended his palm. Said palm glowed red, and with a slight whistling sound, a barrage of needles shot out of it.

Two out of the three men that were targeted managed to dodge, but the third man wasn't so lucky-a dozen senbon or so got lodged in his hands and feet.

Tensui smirked slightly. The senbon began to glow, and then started exploding in small 'pops', causing the crippled shinobi to yell in agony. The explosions weren't strong enough to do damage per se, but since the needles were in direct contact of the shinobi's ligaments, nerves and chakra points, they immobilized him.

With the other shinobi distracted, Shisui leapt from the top of the walls swiftly, and decapitated two off-guard Iwa ANBU. Capitalizing on the element of surprise, the four figures renewed their assault.

Itachi hurled shuriken after shuriken with deadly accuracy, and started to stream chakra into them, causing them to erupt in flames.

_"Katon: Housenka Tsumabeni! [Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Shuriken Jutsu!]"_

Shisui, on the other hand, swiftly finished off all those trapped in illusions. By the time reinforcements arrived, most of the original challengers were dead.

Tensui raised his hand with his index and middle fingers extended, and shot out spikes and shards of pure chakra.

_"Chakra Shrapnel!"_

Meanwhile, Kakashi slipped into the dome undetected, created a couple of shadow clones and began scaling the dark maze. On regular intervals, Kakashi and his clones would mark spots to indicate their progress.

'Hmm… this is pitiful. Apart from a few mediocre traps, the maze doesn't really pose much of a challenge. What's the catch then? Taking into account the standard of the shinobi those three were fighting, it's safe to say that none of the ANBU Special Force Squads have made an appearance. Where are they? Probably guarding the tower.'

One of his shadow clones popped out of existence, indicating that he's found one exit.

'I better inform them. We need to attack all at once from now. Shisui and Tensui are probably at 70% chakra capacity, but Itachi's chakra pool isn't that large. I suppose he'd be down to 50%, and we still need his Tsukuyomi. It's best if he avoids Ninjutsu and Genjutsu from now. Also, they had the element of surprise and strategy back there, and that's why they were able to dispatch 12 ANBU squads no sweat. Now, only the Special Forces and the workers remain.'

With a slightly heavy heart, Kakashi sent the remaining Shadow Clone into the living quarters to finish the laborers off.

"Shisui, what's the status?" Kakashi spoke into his transmitter. It was a convenient way to stay in contact.

"Everything is going smoothly-the ANBU are all dead. Three ANBU-SF Squads have emerged, and we're holding them off. None of us are injured."

"Good. Proceed to the next phase."

As soon as the command was given, the Sharingan users dashed into different entrances to the dome, with the Rock shinobi in pursuit.

"Look out for the red chakra markings" Kakashi murmured.

The inside of the dome was very poorly lit. The strategy was perfect. No matter how many times the Rock shinobi had found their way out of the maze, it was impossible to do so in the dark when moving at such a high speed. Luckily, all the Konoha nin possessed a Doujutsu.

Itachi, Shisui, Tensui and his still existent clone had no issues seeing the chakra markings Kakashi left behind. In two minutes, the team reassembled in a small chamber near the exit of the labyrinth.

"All the workers are dead," Kakashi said grimly.

"How long till the wandering fools find their way?"

"A minute at best. Let's go."

Tensui raised his hand in a variation of the half-tiger seal.

_"Chakra Defense: Stage One."_

Six fist-sized spheres of bluish-green chakra formed around his, and started 'orbiting' him.

"You sure Stage One is enough?"

"Unless they use something stronger that the everyday kunai, shuriken, senbon or exploding tags, I'm safe I. Also, provided that I keep reinforcing it, the jutsu can also protect me from C-Rank Ninjutsu.

"Buttonhook Entry in three…two…one…charge!" Kakashi directed.

Tensui entered the compound first, and as predicted, triggered of a number of booby traps that hurled projectiles at him. Without breaking a sweat, he directed the chakra spheres to form a barrier in the required area.

Immediately, the remaining five squads took notice. Before they could form any queries, Kakashi (the last one that entered) turned around, performed a series of handsigns, and pulled down his mask.

_"Fuuton: Kamikaze! [Wind Release: Divine Wind]"_

Shisui backed up Kakashi's gusts of wind with his own jutsu.

_"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu! [Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!]"_

A thin stream of fire spewed forth and entered the tunnels. Fueled by the wind, the fire served its purpose well: to literally smoke out the remaining squads.

Soon enough, twelve very pissed off Iwa shinobi dashed out of various exits and joined their teammates.

"Konoha shinobi? The Tsuchikage will be very upset to hear of this. Shame-Konoha didn't seem like the type to betr-"

"Oh, shut up." Tensui cut the man, presumably the leader, off. "You know why we're here, and we know why you're dirtbags. Hence, the need for trash talk is eliminated."

"Such disrespect doesn't suit you, BOY!" the older Rock ninja spat. "You don't have any conceivable proof of anything-all you've done is create a massive international conflict. Since you've trespassed, we have no obligat-"

Once again, Tensui cut him off, but this time, not by words.

In a swift motion, he extended both his palms and shouted, _"Chakra Senbon!"_

Thinking quickly, the leader went through a few handsigns.

_"Doton: Doryuuheki no Jutsu! [Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu]"_

The wall blocked almost all the chakra projectiles, but in doing so, divided the two parties. When the leader released the jutsu, to his utter rage and embarrassment, the Konoha shinobi were nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it! FIND THEM! They mustn't under ANY circumstances discover that there are ANBU Root operatives in this compound!"

Kakashi retrieved the scrolls, sealed them up in a scroll of his own, and then the four of them dashed towards the exit. However, their escape was interrupted.

"Hold it!" a man dressed in a variation of Konoha's ANBU uniform barked. Soon, his other three teammates joined him and surrounded the Sharingan wielders.

"Root!" spat Shisui. "We should have known. How dare you even consider betraying Konoha!"

"Shisui," Kakashi whispered urgently, "set up a Genjutsu around the area."

"Kill them," the team leader ordered. Without warning, they unsheathed their respective Tanto and attacked.

Unfortunately, they weren't a match for any of Team Ryuu, especially one-on-one.

In a flash, Kakashi had thrust a _Raikiri_ into one operative's heart, and Itachi had knocked the other down with a Sharingan Genjutsu.

The third Root operative pounced towards Tensui, who in a reflexive action, caused four of the six chakra orbs to transform into a large spike.

The Root member let out a gasp as the spike impaled his abdomen, and frantically grabbed Tensui, holding him in place. The Captain, seeing the opportunity, swung his blade towards the restrained Konoha nin's head.

Tensui realized what was about to happen, and instructed his clone intercept the forth member. Unfortunately, it wouldn't make it in time.

"Look o-"

The Root Captain sliced Tensui's head clean off.

Then a shocking thing happened. Tensui's body burst into hundreds of shards, as if it were made of glass. Tensui's clone capitalized on the befuddlement of his enemies, and caused the chakra spike to explode. As a result, the third Root member died painlessly, and the Captain was thrown against a wall, his limbs damaged.

"Tensui," began Itachi, "correct me if I'm wrong, but does your jutsu give you the ability to switch 'bodies' with your clones?"

Tensui simply smirked and faced the injured Root member.

"N-no way…"

The Captain's face was as white as a sheet.

"Y-y-you are supposed t-to be dead…"

"What the hell do you mean?" Tensui growled.

"It's you isn't it? Y-you can manipulate chakra, just like it was speculated. Yes-no doubt about it. You're Beta 4118174"

Itachi, Kakashi and Shisui didn't know what to make of the delirious rant. However, just as the dying man finished the sentence, Tensui fell to his knees like a sack of potatoes.

"What the fuck! Hey asshole! What did you just do?"

Kakashi crouched to check on Tensui, and checked for Genjutsu.

"He's catatonic!"

"What caused this?" Itachi asked a little exasperatedly.

"I think-" Kakashi hesitated, "I think that code that guy mentioned was more than just a serial number. It was probably the key… I think he's getting his memories back…"

"NOW! CRAP!"

"Quickly," Kakashi ordered as he slung Tensui's limp body on his shoulder, "we need to abort. Kill him and follow me."

Without much thought, Itachi put a shuriken in the Root Captain's head, picked up Tensui's katana and followed Kakashi and Shisui.

Belatedly, Kakashi smiled when he realized that without a moment's hesitation, he had chosen the life of a comrade over the success of a very important mission. He had made the same choice his father had.

In thirty seconds, they managed to reach the outer portion of the stronghold. Shisui, being the fastest was carrying Tensui, and Itachi and Kakashi were battling the attacking Iwa ANBU. By the time they regrouped, around half the ANBU-SF were dead. However, Kakashi, Itachi and Shisui had sustained moderate to major injuries.

"I shall stall them," Kakashi finally said, "and you ru-"

"Don't be stupid Kakashi."

Kakashi stilled, since it wasn't Itachi or Shisui who had spoken.

"Put me down Shisui."

"Wait, are you alri- I mean should you…"

"Don't worry about it. I remember everything now. The experience was a little exhilarating, but I'm fine. Let's focus on surviving now."

"We're outnumbered."

"Just do as I say," Tensui said in a no nonsense tone. "With the release of the seal, my memories aren't the only thing that have returned."

His teammates' eyes widened as they realized the implications. In another ten seconds, all the surviving Iwa ANBU caught up.

As soon as they landed, the four Konoha nin unleashed Katon: Goukyaku no Jutsu from all four sides.

Predictably, the Iwa leader erected a set of mud walls to protect, and inadvertently encase themselves in a chamber of sorts.

'Okay…' Tensui thought, 'Focus'

_"__Kanpeki Bunshin no Jutsu! [Perfect Clone Jutsu!]_"

A clone split out of Tensui, and leapt high in the air, so that it had a decent vantage point of the trapped shinobi. In a second, Tensui switched places with his clone, and pushed a massive amount of chakra into his eye.

'Heck… the pain is so damn intense! Just a little more…'

A trail of blood started flowing out from his closed eye.

He opened it to reveal a new, unique pattern.

_"Amaterasu!"_

* * *

No one spoke on the journey back. When the village was in sight, Tensui expressed his desire to speak to the Sandaime in private.

Neither of his teammates heard from him for the rest of the day. The next morning, when they reported (sans Tensui) to submit the mission report, they got some shocking news.

"You're what? How can you just let him leave?" Shisui nearly yelled. "Don't you think that in a situation like this, he needs to stay in the village? If we let him loose, who knows what might happen!"

Hiruzen sighed, "Shisui, don't worry. I've taken this decision after consulting Inoichi-san."

"Tensui is in a slightly delicate place. He needs to be left alone for a while, to allow him to cool off. He needs to let out all those bottled-up emotions."

"Then just let him train, or destroy something! You two are with me on this, right?"

Itachi said nothing, while Kakashi countered, "Look Shisui. I know you are worried about him. However, we must do what's best for him."

"That's right. As for your suggestion, it doesn't work that way. 'Venting' ones emotions doesn't necessarily involve letting them run rampant. The only reason you feel better after training is because of the endorphins released, whi-"

"Get to the point, Inoichi-san!"

"The point," Inoichi ground out, "is that whenever you feel angry or depressed, you need to counter it. Some people meditate, others exercise. There are various means of therapy. Tensui, on the other hand, never did all this. When we say he 'bottles up' his emotions, we don't mean it in a literal sense. Look at it this way… Which was the most troublesome day of your life in the past year?"

"Well, there was that mission we took on as hunter-nin. All I could think of was when it would end."

"And why was that day so excruciating?"

"Nothing major… just that everything seemed to go wrong. We kept missing the target by a few hours. Then when we finally cornered him in a small town, the locals weren't willing to co-operate even a little bit. That scum nearly escaped again, and Itachi got stabbed near the kidney when trying to stop him. Finally, when we chased him into a tavern, the owner kept denying his presence and didn't allow us entry."

"And how did it end?"

Shisui looked a little embarrassed. "We sensed that he was about to escape again, and issued a warning to use force. The owner kept hurling disrespectful accusations, and told us to, and I quote, 'fuck off! That man you're looking for is the hero of our town! He killed the bandits that were terrorizing us!' I felt so damn angry then… this 'hero' had gone on three different killing rampages, killed five Konoha shinobi and was suspected to have plundered and raped innocent civilians in two other towns. The only reason he killed those bandits was that they were interfering with his agenda."

"How did you react?"

"I… I snapped and severed every tendon in that fool's body. Then I put him under a Genjutsu and showed him every heinous act the thug had committed. After that, I chased down the missing-nin and used a torture Genjutsu repeatedly, until he collapsed… Then I hacked off his head."

"You see what I mean? Normally, you wouldn't have taken such drastic measures. However, on that day, the frustration and anger had cumulated to a point where a small spark got you to fly off the handle. Similarly, whatever grief and anger Tensui might have experienced is simply cumulating. This is not uncommon, but in most cases, the subject has a means to cool off. Sadly, due to that bloody memory seal, things have gotten ten times as complicated. The only reason he isn't showing this outwardly is because he hasn't come to terms with things. It plain denial. The best thing to do now is to give him time, some room to breathe and our show of support in whatever decision he makes."

"I dunno… Why does he want to leave in the first place? Wouldn't that make him a missing-nin?"

"Well…" Hiruzen trailed off, and thought back to the conversation he had with the boy in question.

_"I remember."_

_Hiruzen looked up from his desk. From the expression on Tensui's face (a patented combination of bitter and 'my-wife-shot-my-puppy-this-morning'), he knew immediately what had happened._

_"I remember everything."_

_"What are you going to do?"_

_"I'm going to do nothing. You, on the other hand, are going to give me something."_

_"The location of Danzo's headquarters? I'm sorry, but we don't re-"_

_"Why on earth would I want that?" Tensui asked, as if Hiruzen had said the most ridiculous thing ever._

_"Well then, what is it?"_

_"I want permission. Permission to leave Konoha indefinitely."_

_"What!" Hiruzen stood suddenly. "I cannot just do that. Look, I know you've been through a lot. However, I cannot just let my top shinobi abandon the village and wander around. It's bad enough….bad enough that the Sannin are no longer here, and that Root has gone completely underground. Now you wish to go out there, where you can be hunted, captured or killed?"_

_Tensui's expression conveyed that he was simply waiting for Hiruzen's rant to get over._

_"Hokage-sama, I understand your worries. However, you must understand mine. For the past eight years or so, my life was a mystery. I had to live without knowing a thing. I didn't know whether my parents were alive, whether I had any friends… any… siblings… anything. All I knew was that my great-great grandfather was Hashirama Senju, and that my father was a member of the Uchiha Clan. Hokage-sama, humans thrive on satisfaction of curiosity-we need to know everything. Do you have any idea what it's like knowing NOTHING about the first six years of my life? It's like starting a game of shogi that has been half played, and not knowing your opponent."_

_He took a deep breathe before continuing._

_"And then were the few strands of memories…"_

_"What…? You never told me about-"_

_"I didn't tell anyone. However, every now and then, I'd have small flashes of my past. Nothing conclusive, just me performing menial tasks. They didn't include memories of anybody at all, and I would wonder whether I was all alone from the start. Then began the nightmares. Every BLOODY night! The nightmares weren't really vivid... quite the contrary. They were all dark, hazy and blurred, sometimes to the point where I couldn't understand what was happening."_

_"What did you see?"_

_"Nothing. I saw, heard, smelt, touched and tasted nothing. However, I felt… felt it all. I just knew something was happening-call it instincts or intuition. Now that I remember, I know what they were about. They were all about that day. I just… I just cannot deal with this. I need to forget-forget for good. This place will only serve to remind me, and I cannot have that."_

_Tensui paused to allow Hiruzen to absorb everything._

_"As for the latter concern, you need not worry. I can take care of myself, and my debt to this village binds me into loyalty. I won't be idle either. I shall become… a bounty hunter."_

_"A bounty hu- what on earth do you mean by that?"_

_"Are there multiple definitions? Hokage-sama, this world is overrun by missing-nin and other such criminals, who are listed in the Bingo Books. I intend to eliminate as many as I can. That way, I shall be helping the village. Also, I shall be able to gather precious information that isn't available to the everyday circles of society. Finally, I might be able to gather allies."_

_"Allies?"_

_"I'm not foolish, Hokage-sama. I know what the talks are-we will have a war on our hands in a few years. It's only logical to maintain as many connections as possible."_

_Sadly, Hiruzen couldn't argue with that. However, he didn't want to send Tensui out of the village. He knew all too well what living as a missing-nin did to a person, and he didn't want that for any of his shinobi. Considering Tensui's situation, it would simply be worse for him._

_"Tell me one thing-what do you intend to do to Root and Danzo?"_

_"Why should I do anything to them?" Tensui said with a look of slight confusion. "What transpired was an accident. When I regained my memories of the event, I expected to be consumed by rage or sorrow, but strangely enough, I don't feel a thing. Well, except for the urge to be alone and free."_

_'Crap… Now what? I need to keep him inside the village, but I cannot force him.'_

_"I shall take my leave now. Let me know by tomorrow."_

_"Wait. Just one last thing. You probably feel that this is the right move, but haven't you considered staying and fighting? You're running away, boy. Running from your past. There's nothing honourable in that-it's plain cowardly." 'Good, he's listening. All I need to do is give him one more push…'_

_"Tell me kid-are you a coward?"_

_Hiruzen waited for anger, irritation, accusation… something. He had just taken a jab at the honour and pride of one of the strongest shinobi of the village._

_Tensui simply tilted his head with an expression of mild contemplation._

_"Ofcourse I'm a coward. And yes, I'm running away. That's what I do…"_

_With that, he walked out, leaving behind a flabbergasted Hiruzen._

"I have no other choice. It seems to lack the will to fight-the urge to go on. What do you make of this, Inoichi-san?"

"It seems like the average PTSD at first. However, if one takes a closer look, he also has hints of Schizoid Personality Disorder-which is basically lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency towards a solitary lifestyle, coldness and apathy- as well as signs of Clinical Depression-which is charact-"

"Get to the point!"

"The point is-he seems to have given up."

"You mean he's suicidal?"

"No, not exactly. It simply means that he doesn't value his life as much as a normal person would. In his case, it's caused due to the inability to deal with the deaths of the people who were closest to him. He doesn't want to kill himself, but his sense of self-preservation is diminishing. Hence he wants to undertake such a mission. He doesn't care whether or not it ruins him, as long as he's doing something worthwhile. I speculate that incase he is about to inevitably die, he'll simply embrace it."

"So isn't that proof enough that he cannot be allowed to leave?" Shisui cried. "Hey you two, some support will be appreciated!"

"Shisui," Inoichi nearly barked, "If we do not let him deal with this himself, he might just turn suicidal… or sociopathic. The time for being there for him and helping him cope with loss is long, long gone. Now there is nothing we can do without becoming the enemy. Infact, getting away for a while might just be the best thing he could do."

"How long?" Kakashi spoke after a while.

"As long as he needs. Look, I know that you people are like brothers, and will miss him. However, letting go is an important aspect of friendship. I cannot possibly have any objections, since he is helping the village, and Inoichi-san says that this is beneficial to his health. Therefore, I'm issuing him the unclassified mission of being a hunter-nin. The mission dictates that he may be summoned to the village at times of need, and that he must comply."

"Fine, Hokage-sama," Shisui said a little sullenly.

"Before I dismiss you, do you have anything to say, Itachi?"

Itachi looked out of the window, with a slight gleam in his eyes.

"No… nothing."

"Then I shall move to address the graver matter. Your report has revealed that Danzo Shimura is a traitor to Konoha. Please summon the Council members. I wish to end this matter once and for all."

* * *

A week later, at midnight, Itachi found Tensui standing quietly by the lake, gazing into the nearly-full moon.

After around twenty minutes, the latter spoke.

"I'm not sure if this is the correct move, but I simply need this. I've gone over the specifics with Sandaime-sama, have sealed my living quarters and spent the last few days with Naruto. Itachi… please take him in."

Itachi simply raised an eyebrow.

"He's alone and depressed. I know that the old bastards will probably throw a tantrum, but Itachi, please find a way to adopt the boy. Please adopt him as your younger brother."

"I'll… I'll do it. I promise I'll find a way."

Tensui gave Itachi a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I suspect there's something you want from me."

"Yes… I'm sure you've read the about the implications of your Mangekyou Sharingan jutsu."

"_Tsukuyomi_ and _Amaterasu_ form an immensely powerful pair, and are rumoured to give birth to an even stronger legendary jutsu."

"Hn."

"Fine. You want to learn _Amaterasu_, right? Then teach me _Tsukuyomi_. We can perform the ritual now."

"I don't mean to be condescending, but-"

"But with my Genjutsu skill level, I probably won't be able to master it right? Don't worry-I don't intend to use it to its full capacity. All I want to learn and 'acquire' is the ability to create a realm that defies time."

"That can be done, but you wouldn't be able to afflict physical pain on your victims. You can go for psychological torture, but that may not work on everyone."

"Leave the specifics to me, buddy."

"Alright, Tensui."

Suddenly, Tensui whipped around and gave Itachi a contempt filled glare. This seemed reflexive, as he quickly realized what he was doing and calmed down.

"I'm sorry… Just don't call me that ever again."

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"Not anymore. I hate it. Instead, you may call me…well, since I am becoming a bounty hunter, my new name shall be Tenken."

"Fine," Itachi shrugged. "It does sound a little cheesy, but I suppose it is appropriate for a hunter-nin."

With that, they walked towards the Nakano Shrine.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, Tenken was ready to leave. He wore plain, navy blue clothes and a black cloak. His sword and kunai-set were buckled onto his belt, and his numerous books and scrolls were all sealed into a transport scroll.

At the Gates, his teammates were the only ones there to bid him farewell. Tenken thanked his stars for that.

"Well Tensu- I mean Tenken," Shisui smirked, "I'll sure as hell miss you."

"I know. Thank you-all three of you for all the good times… I doubt I could have had better teammates."

All four of them cracked various versions of smiles.

"I'll be back."

"When?" Kakashi enquired.

Tenken turned and started walking. "I wish I knew."

Five minutes later, the Gates were deserted once again.

No one noticed the half-black-half-white man encased in leaves that resembled a Venus flytrap sink into the ground a few hundred meters away.

* * *

This was plain wrong! Danzo couldn't believe how he had gotten screwed over.

Despite all of the security measures, secrecy and shenanigans, Danzo's schemes were exposed thanks to one little brat. He was convinced that the kid was dead, and paid the issue no attention. Now, thanks to that one miniscule oversight, he would have to make new plans.

As Danzo paced about his office, he wondered what kind of imbeciles he had working for him. Seriously, what kind of a retard just talks about important, highly confidential information?

Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the atmosphere, and a cloaked figure warped into the office.

"You are a fool."

Danzo simply glared at the man.

"What now?"

"Very few options remain. The old plan of framing the Uchiha Clan is obsolete. No doubt, in a few hours, a warrant for my arrest shall be issued. Those fools will never understand the value of what the Tsuchikage was offering in exchange for those common and mediocre clan jutsus. "

"Do you plan on fighting?"

"Ofcourse not. I shall flee."

"Not the honourable kind, are you?" Tobi taunted.

"We're shinobi. If one looks past the 'happy, kind, loyal, faithful' portrayal of us that those incompetents have erected, one can see us for what we truly are. We're not meant to be honourable. We slit throats of out victims when they're asleep; we quell rebellions with overwhelming force; we don't form alliances based on friendship or obligation-we form alliances that help us further out goals; we aren't bound by trivialities such as morals, when the greater good is at stake. We aren't soldiers or charity workers-we are hired killers, who wouldn't hesitate to stab someone in the kidney when their back is turned, if it serves the greater good."

"An impressive monologue Danzo, but that doesn't change the fact that you have lost all the meager credibility you had, and that the very people you've been trying to 'help' want you dead."

"Yes-it seems that my vision of a new Konoha shall not be realized."

"Join forces with me, and help me purge the village for good."

"Don't be ridiculous, Madara. I want the betterment of Konoha whereas you simply want to destroy it. Ideally, we are enemies, and the only reason we formed this 'arrangement' is so that the both of us get what we want. If everything went according to plan, you would have your revenge on the Uchiha Clan, and along with that eye, I would have one less enemy on my plate. That's all there is to it. Don't think, even for a moment, that we are anything alike."

"Oh, but we are. We both are trying to accomplish the same thing-our respective goals, against overwhelming odds."

"Don't be so vague," Danzo growled, "get to the point."

"Fine. You have just one option left-run. But where? You are widely recognized. Now that your precious village has spat you out and want nothing more than you head on a pike, Konoha is your enemy. The same people you strived to protect by curbing all potential threats at their infancy want you dead. It's quite obvious that if you want a shinobi community to exist the way it should, you have only one means of doing it. You must found it. You have everything needed to establish an independent settlement-manpower, connections, strength, leadership and what not-everything except capital. Your finances are negligible since Konoha has cut you off. My solution is simple-steal what is rightfully yours."

"NO. You are wrong one multiple accounts, the major one being that Konoha shall have me executed. Incase you've forgotten, the general public has NO say in what happens to me. The Council members will support me, since exposing me shall uncover some of the most buried acts committed by us in order to protect Konoha. That only leaves…" Danzo's face turned pale.

"… The Konoha Police Force? Yep, that's right. And guess who has the senior most member of the Uchiha Clan Council wrapped around his finger. As you've probably realized, you have no other way out of this, especially now that I know the extent of your loyalties."

"You were planning this all along weren't you?"

"At some point, yes. However, it seems that luck is on my side for a change."

"You swine! How could you-"

"Betray you? If I'm not mistaken, I just did 'what shinobi do'."

"This isn't the same! We had an agreement which state that we wouldn't interfere with each other after our dealings were complete."

"Ah yes, Danzo. Unfortunately, you cannot use that to defend yourself. To understand why, let me tell you a little story. You see, at one point of time in the past, there was a man determined to make his village prosper. Sadly, no one really agreed with him on how this prosperity was to be gained. Still, undeterred by the stigma he faced, he went on to work from the shadows, and did all the work that was too dirty for even the people who did the dirty work."

"As time passed, no one in the innocent little village knew of this man's efforts. They still thought that the reason they slept well at night was due to the charity work of the village's forces, and the bright sunny smiles they exchanged on a daily basis. The few people who knew of his devotion didn't trust him enough to allow him the use of some of the village's finest shinobi. The man didn't give up-he was a fighter… of sorts. Hidden in the same shadows that enabled him to protect his village, he mobilized some of his forces in a secret campaign to recruit new members to his ranks."

Danzo was getting increasingly furious, not only because Madara was mocking him, but because strangely, for the first time since he was a genin, he felt angry. All the things Madara was saying were completely true-yet the village preached against him. Now most of the villagers wanted him dead.

"Sadly," Madara continued, "he knew that most shinobi would rather work for the happy, fun loving Konoha where everything was rainbows and sunshine, where they could be as naïve and hypocritical as they wanted. Then it struck him. What kind of people wouldn't resist him? Minors who had nowhere to go, ofcourse… Orphans. So he recruited as many orphans as he could without raising any suspicions, and lived happily ever after… right? Wrong, because the man in question doesn't really seem happy."

Tobi's tone gradually began to change from teasing to venomous.

"I'll tell you what went wrong. One day, this man heard of a particular orphan whose mother was a Senju and father was and Uchiha. It was a genetic treasure cove! Even if the boy turned out to become a complete failure, the man could simply harvest his genes and create genetically altered embryos with the help of his mad scientist of a cohort. Unfortunately, the shinobi he sent to 'persuade' the child into joining his forces never returned. When he investigated, he found that there was nothing left. The child was dead, along with his men."

"Not surprisingly, the man didn't give up on his hunt for such a genetic constitution, and as a tribute to the 'key' to the mind sealing jutsu that was supposed to be placed on the coveted child, he assigned his men a mission known as 'Beta 4118174'. It was an inconspicuous name that held great significance. This mission was simple-monitor all clan movement closely, and report similar cases. Now, what could go wrong? He worked alone in complete secrecy, and placed seals on his own followers to ensure it."

There was a pause. Danzo didn't know how he was supposed to react. He wasn't sure if it was the stress of getting arrested or being betrayed, or simply the years getting to him. At that point, contrary to EVERYTHING he preached, he was seething in rage and wanted nothing more that to attack the man that was mocking him.

"One small oversight, Danzo. That's all it took to cause your grand schemes to crumble. If only you had looked much deeper, and been a lot less trusting, you would have not been in this mess… I see that you're confused. Let me elaborate-you trusted your 'path' a little too much. You began to think that the villagers of Konoha would start overlooking your minor lapses in light of all the 'good' you're doing. But you see, these villagers will never acknowledge your philosophy. They're SNAKES!" the masked man spat. "Then again, what do you expect from a community that's so hell bent on upholding up its holier-than-thou image. Look at what happened to the White Fang. The fools will keep on saying that they value the lives of their comrades, but the social stigma and criticism Sakumo Hatake faced drove him to suicide. The same fate awaits you, Danzo Shimura. We come to the final portion of the story."

Tobi took a deep breathe, and whispered ominously, "The man made a deal he simply couldn't cheat. In exchange for the temporary safety of the village he so desperately wanted to reform, he allied with a man who shared the 'tragedy' aspect of the man's own story. But, alas! His oversight finally caught up to him, and he couldn't hold his end of the bargain."

"There is still time! All we need to do is incite the Clan further, and… and…" Danzo realized that he was desperate. Never would he have guessed that in a span of one day, he would go from struggling for his visions to struggling for his life.

"It's over, Danzo Shimura. I have no use for this arrangement anymore, although the Root could be a great help to me."

"Then…then there's still hope! We can wor-"

"'We'? What do you mean 'we'? I said that I need Root, not you Danzo."

"Root only obeys ME!"

"And so it shall. No one needs to know…"

"Wait… are you…"

"Hush, old man. You've had a great run," Tobi mocked in a perversely teasing tone, as if he was congratulating a child about his ability to throw a shuriken straight. "But now… don't go down begging. It's simply not fitting."

That was the last straw, and Danzo snapped. He snarled, and throwing caution to the wind, he pounced at the masked man. His efforts were in vain, as he simply phased through Tobi and landed in an undignified heap.

"Tchh. How pathetic," Tobi drawled in mock (or perhaps genuine) pity. "Don't worry though, I shall not kill you. Unlike some people, I never forget my debts. As a thank-you for 'donating' Root to me, I shall simply erase all your memories and locate you somewhere far, far away."

Danzo looked to glare at him, but this was a wrong move. Suddenly, he was caught in the illusionary world of the Sharingan.

"First, I need to know how I can alter the cursed seals you've placed on your lackeys. After that, I can proceed to wipe your memories clean. Unlike your incompetent jutsu, mine is less… temporary… yes, let's go with that."

Danzo's senses began fading despite his desperation. Finally, after a minute or so of struggle, he felt tired… He gave in, and reminisced about his life so far, for what could probably be the last time.

"Farewell," Tobi said in an apathetic, yet murderous tone. "Farewell Danzo Shimura. It truly has been… entertaining working with you. It's nothing personal… just that like you, I too have a vision. In the unlikely event that our paths cross again, you're just a simple fisherman off the coast of the Land of Waves. The only problem is your face," Tobi mused. He was sure that Danzo was unconscious, and was simply thinking aloud. "It won't do if you're recognized… Perhaps Zetsu will be able to do something…"

With that, both the room's occupants disappeared in a swirly vortex.

The next week, an announcement was made pertaining to the fact that both Danzo and ANBU Root were missing, and that their headquarters were destroyed… seemingly flattened.

Except for his former teammates, no one grieved the disappearance of Danzo Shimura.

* * *

**A/N 2:**** So how was it? Please leave a review.**

**I hope the MS theory wasn't too far-fetched. Basically I thought that Kakashi and Shisui both have only one jutsu, Itachi has two and Tensui...I mean Tenken, needs one: hey why not?**

**If you have any doubts, feel free to PM me. Otherwise, see 'ya next time!**

**Oh, I almost forgot. There's another timeskip next time, and the story shifts towards Team Seven and the Uchiha Clan...**

**I'm sure many of you have figured out Tenken's importance as the 'Linchpin'-how he caused and AU by simply being present at the right place and time.**

**Btw for those that don't know, Tenken means 'Heavenly Punishment'. Fitting for a bounty hunter, isn't it :p**

**Please R&R**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: Well, it's been a while. I was busy with exams and stuff. Then I got a slight writer's block.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. It includes a lot more characters and I hope I've handled them correctly.**

**I've also decided to go for canon pairings. Sadly only Hinata x Naruto seems canon at the moment. I might explore possibilities with Ino, but all of that will be much later, when the characters have matured.**

**All that aside, please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

* * *

It was a sultry afternoon in Konoha. After a grueling day at the Academy, Naruto was relieved when Iruka-sensei signaled the theoretical lessons to end and asked everybody to note down their homework.

"Read through chapters 5 and 7 of 'How to Optimize Your Weapons'; write an essay on Konoha's contribution in the Second Shinobi War; and submit a detailed analysis of the Bunshin no Jutsu. Now, follow me to the training grounds."

Naruto lazily noted down the homework in a nearly illegible handwriting, and began packing away his books. Normally, he wouldn't bother with homework, but now he was living under the same roof as Sasuke.

Ever since Naruto moved in with the Uchiha Clan six months ago, he was forced to take the boring classes seriously. Luckily, there were a few good sides to it as well.

For one, he could enjoy real food for a change. Contrary to popular belief, the only reason ramen was Naruto's favourite food was because that was all he could afford before Tensui came into his life. Secondly, even though it was rare, sometimes Itachi would help him and Sasuke with a new jutsu.

Yesterday was a prime example of this.

"_Now remember," Itachi began, "ninjutsu is all about timing. There's frankly no point if your jutsu doesn't connect with the enemy." Itachi had brought Naruto and Sasuke out to the Uchiha Clan training grounds in order to educate them on ninjutsu._

"_As you remember, Naruto's chakra nature is wind-like Shisui's- and Sasuke's is fire-like mine. This is quite fortunate, since wind and fire jutsus collaborate well."_

"_Wait! I'm going to have to perform jutsus with him!" It was unclear how both of them managed to scream the same sentence, at the exact same time, in the exact same pitch without rigorous choreography._

"_Yes," Itachi sighed. "When Katon and Fuuton are combined, th-"_

"_Hey fellas!" Shisui beamed as he flickered into view. "I'm sorry to break this up, but I must speak with Itachi-sensei."_

"_Don't call me that. And can't this wait?"_

"_I wish it could."_

"_Why don't you help with the training?" Naruto said excitedly. "Then the two of you can have your grown-ups talk in peace."_

"_Fine… What are you learning?"_

"_Nii-san is going to teach us collaboration ninjutsu."_

"_Really Itachi? Wouldn't it be more prudent to give them a talk on ninjutsu types at first?"_

"_Fair enough."_

"_What? No! We want to see and learn cool jutsu, not listen to some lecture! Tell them teme!"_

"_Don't call me that, dobe! And yes-the dobe is right. We will probably be lectured at the Academy."_

_"See Shisui? Hence wanting to teach them ninjutsu directly."_

"_Fine. Which ones?"_

"_I wanted them to start off with simple collaborations."_

"_So Katon: Ryuuka [Fire Style: Dragon Fire] and Fuuton: Daitoppa [Wind Style: Great Breakthrough]?"_

"_Essentially, yes." Itachi turned to Sasuke and Naruto. "Now, watch closely."_

"Alright," Iruka began, after Shikamaru surprised the class by manipulating his shadow, "Sasuke, you're up."

"Uh, actually… well, me and the dob-I mean Naruto… we're going to perform a collaboration jutsu." Sasuke's distaste in having to work with Naruto was quite evident.

At Sasuke's announcement, the entire class sat up on the makeshift benches.

Naruto stood carelessly and walked to the centre of the clearing.

"You better get this right dobe," Sasuke ground out from beside him.

"Don't worry about me. See that you don't singe your pretty hair or something," Naruto retorted.

Simultaneously, both Naruto and Sasuke began forming handsigns, and blew out.

"_Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu! [Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu]"_

"_Fuuton: Daitoppa! [Wind Style: Great Breakthrough]"_

Now, contrary to popular belief, aiming a jutsu that you blow out of your mouth is not a simple task. Naruto's technique execution was flawless. However, partly because he didn't anticipate it, and partly because the climate was quite windy, the combined wind and fire jutsu swerved to the side and hit Iruka right in the stomach.

"Fuck," Naruto sighed.

[Break]

Naruto and Sasuke left the Academy together, but in complete silence.

'Iruka-sensei was NOT as happy as I'd expect him to be,' Naruto thought. 'Burning him badly aside, I think it was a pretty good result.'

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke stilled. 'Oh no! Not now… Well, might as well get it over with. Who is it this time?'

Naruto and Sasuke turned to see Sakura Haruno run towards them.

"That was really cool back there!" she said, panting as she approached them.

"Why, thank you, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, quite pleased with himself.

"I wasn't talking to you. You should be ashamed of yourself for injuring Iruka-sensei!"

"Wh-wha… Hey! This is a double standard!"

"It's entirely your fault that he got injured!" she reprimanded with a stern look on her face. "You should know how to aim your jutsu. But your Fire was really, really cool, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He just wanted to go home and get his brother, or perhaps one of his brother's remaining teammates, to teach him a new _solo_ jutsu.

"Anyway," Sakura began shyly with a pronounced blush, ignoring Naruto's whining, "What are you doing now, Sasuke-kun. I thought that maybe we could train together. Or if you're hungry, I know this really nice sweetshop where you get the best dango."

"Sasuke doesn't really like sweets, though dango is my personal favorite."

The three students stilled at the voice behind them, before turning around.

Itachi and Shisui stood with a really amused expression.

"Nii-san…"

"So," Shisui began in mock seriousness, "we received a very serious complaint. Tch. Tch. Attacking a teacher is a really serious offence. I remember the time I used a _Suiton_ in class when my Shinobi History teacher's back was turned. Got into some se-"

"NO!" Naruto pleaded, "It was an accident. I swear!"

The last thing Naruto wanted was for Itachi to refuse to train him further.

"Calm down," Itachi said gently. "We know what happened. Anyway, Okaa-san and Otou-san are very busy today. Hence, we are supposed to take you out for lunch."

"Oh… okay," Sasuke said, slightly dejected that he couldn't begin training immediately.

Itachi turned to Sakura, who was blushing profusely. "Would you like to join us? I'm eager to try out this dango you've mentioned."

'It's going to be a long day,' Naruto thought, as Sakura began stammering.

* * *

"So," Shisui began, "what do you want to do today?"

They were having lunch at one of the restaurants on the outskirts of the village. Naruto had to curb his instinct to reach out to Ichiraku Ramen.

"We were hoping you could train us."

"We have a mission," Itachi said quietly. He turned to Sakura, who was feeling a whole brand of awkwardness.

"When do you need to be home?"

"Uhh… Well… Okaa-san knows that I spend the day in the village, so I guess I can stay till evening… If that's okay with you, that is…"

"Hn," Itachi replied and covertly activated his Sharingan. One gaze was all it took, and Shisui was under his genjutsu.

It was a technique his team developed when just starting out at ANBU. It allowed secret conversations when in public places.

"Shisui," Itachi spoke through the illusion, "what now?"

"We need to keep the kids busy. We don't have long."

"Training it is… How about the tree climbing exercise?"

"Yes, that will keep them sufficiently busy."

Itachi ended the illusion.

"Let's go. We have work to do."

"Itachi nii-san," Naruto began, "why don't you show us your regular training regiment?"

"Because dobe," Sasuke interjected, "it is the most difficult training in the world, and we're clearly not capable of performing it."

"Not really," Itachi chuckled, "Tenken's was much tougher."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Yes. It had a sequence of various tasks. Mine was just the simple AMBU routine during the day, combined with a private session at dawn. He too would start early, and begin the day with basic ninjutsu practice-in his case, it was the Katon. After a couple of hours of that, he would practice Taijutsu without usage of chakra for an hour. Then he'd take a lunch break."

"After that was the tough part," Shisui continued for Itachi, casually chewing on his food. "He'd meditate for two hours. Two freaking hours! It's freaking impossible if you ask me, yet he-and occasionally Itachi-managed it."

"Yes, thank you Shisui," Itachi said dryly. "Then came the special training: two and half hours of special ninjutsu practice-his chakra manipulation jutsu. Following that, he'd get Shisui and me to put him under various genjutsu and try breaking them. The sessions worked miracles on chakra control and transformation. If you're willing to give it a try, I could help you with it. It's the same one Kakashi and I are on."

"Awesome!" Naruto exclaimed almost instinctively.

"Damn it Naruto! Weren't you listening? It's not some easy game or anything!"

What surprised everybody was that it was the shy pink haired girl who spoke up. Suddenly she became self conscious and sat down with a blush.

"Anyway," Sasuke began awkwardly, "Sakura is right. We should really think this through."

"Not really," Shisui said offhandedly. "Try it out for a week before jumping to conclusions. Even though I had a really tough time following it-especially the meditation part-I got surprisingly good results for the few days I did it."

"Fine," Sasuke tried to hide his enthusiasm. He wasn't sure of why his brother and Shisui wanted to train Naruto and him all of a sudden, but he sure as hell wasn't going to question him.

"Good," Itachi smiled. "We'll see the three of you at 6 am in two days."

"Yes-wait! Three?"

"Yes, three" Itachi said innocently.

"N-n-no, I re-really shouldn't-"

"Don't worry," Shisui waved her off. "You'll be fine!"

Sakura tried to protest further, but suddenly her mouth was dry.

'Why am I behaving like Hinata?' She questioned herself. 'Is it because I'll be training with Sasuke-kun? I mean-this is all I ever wanted. I should be excited. Maybe it's because Sasuke's brother and cousin are really strong and successful. I guess that's why I'm nervous.'

Sakura didn't realize that she'd spaced out, until it was too late and everyone was staring at her.

"Oh! Sorry… I was just…" she began laughing nervously.

"Aww. Don't worry," Shisui teased. "We're probably not going to bite."

"_Probably_?" Sasuke questioned, as Sakura stammered some more.

Itachi sighed.

"Shisui, stop being a moron. Sakura-san, I hope you don't mind joining Naruto and Sasuke for training. Naruto tells me that you've got brilliant scores, and I believe you'll benefit a lot." Itachi finished politely.

"Uhh, okay…"

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Now, let's get going."

Itachi and Shisui fell behind discreetly, and Shisui whispered to his cousin.

"What on earth is going on? You're starting them on Tenken's ANBU level training program? Whatever happened to 'they're just children'?"

"They're Shinobi, Shisui," came a rather cold reply.

"Itachi, what has gotten into you?"

The look Itachi gave his cousin said it all.

They needed to be prepared incase anything went wrong.

* * *

**The Previous Evening.**

_Itachi entered a quite, almost empty bar. He signaled to the owner for privacy and walked over to a booth in the corner._

"_What is so important that you asked me to come here, Shisui?"_

"_Were you followed?" Shisui asked Itachi as he sat down._

"_Shisui, what's wrong? You've been really nervous and shaken up since yesterday. It's not like you to get riled up."_

"_Why hasn't your father reported it yet," Shisui whispered agitatedly._

"_I don't know. However, the two of us have already informed the Sandaime of the situation regarding the planned rebellion. Does it matter if my father speaks up?"_

"_It does, Itachi. It matters because the Clan Elders want him to spearhead the movement."_

_Itachi's eyes widened. "…And they have told him of their wishes?"_

"_Ofcourse. It has been a week."_

"_That means…" The color drained from Itachi's face._

"…_Your father might not be as averse to the Coup d'état as we thought he might be."_

"_But he hasn't given them a formal answer?"_

"_No, and that's not necessarily a good thing. He hasn't declined yet," Shisui said with an anguished expression._

"_This is a problem. However, it is also an advantage-the Coup cannot proceed with a tsundere leader."_

"_You would normally be right. However, as of yesterday, you're not."_

_Itachi nearly gasped._

"_Shisui, surely you don't mean…"_

"_Yes. They've finalized a date."_

"_When…?"_

"_Tomorrow."_

"_**Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."**_

_Shisui would have teased Itachi for swearing (something Itachi almost never did) had the circumstances been different._

"_Shisui, what is the probability that you can have the whole thing called off using Kotoamatsukami?"_

"_It might work on one or two, but the other ringleaders will surely suspect something." Shisui paused. "Another thing-the Elders are keeping tabs on Kotoamatsukami's cooldown. They have also assigned to me an impromptu mission."_

"_What is it?"_

_Shisui let out a bitter chuckle._

"_I'm to use Kotoamatsukami on you."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_Listen to me. They don't trust you one bit. Even though my actions appear to be similar to yours, I've inadvertently sucked up to the Clan Council for a few years. I am tasked with keeping a close eye on you."_

"_We must act soon. This is an extremely delicate matter."_

"_I need a drink, Itachi. You should have one too. As an ANBU member, you're an adult now."_

"_I don't drink. Besides, we ought to be planning pre-emptive measures."  
_

"_Way ahead of you… I spoke to the Sandaime yesterday."_

"_What did he say?" Itachi asked unsurely, fearing the answer._

"_He consented to the Elders' plans."_

"_WHA-Are you telling me that Hokage-sama agreed on genocide."_

"_No Itachi. That would have been Danzo's plan if he were still here. The plan is simple. We fight."_

"_A Civil War?"_

"_Not really. Look, it's no secret that the strength of the Uchiha Clan without the two of us is severely crippled. If we convince your father to see reason-though after having his mind poisoned by the Elders, this isn't likely-then the Clan has no Mangekyou Sharingans. We simply amass a small squad and deal with the threat."_

"_Hmm… It makes sense. Considering that Danzo had expected one of us to kill the entire Clan in a stealth mission, we should be able to hold them off… But Shisui… How is this any different from what Danzo wanted?"_

"_In a way, there's no difference. The maximum that can be said is that the Clan attacked first. Trust me Itachi, this is the last thing I want to do… especially after that God-forsaken mission six months ago… I couldn't sleep peacefully for a week… **BUT DAMMIT ITACHI**! If the Clan wants to make this foolish decision, then as a Konoha Shinobi, I **will** meet them head-on!"_

_After a few moments, Itachi spoke._

"_Who can we trust?"_

"_It's not just a matter of trust. We need people capable of fighting the ocular prowess of the Sharingan. Kakashi is a sure pick. Ofcourse, we'll have to fill him in on this. Sandaime-sama will fight as well."_

"_What about Might Guy? From what Kakashi tells me, he's been developing a way to counter the Sharingan."_

"_That's five so far. Six if your father joins us."_

"_Inoichi-san? His jutsu might help combat the ocular jutsu of most of the mediocre Clan members."_

"_Seven…"_

"_What about members of the Clan?"_

"_None. Since Obito's father passed away, pretty much the entire Clan is against Konoha."_

"_And the Hyuuga? The Byakugan of the Main Branch should be capable of countering the Sharingans of the Clan, except perhaps those of the elites."_

"_Be that as it may, it would be best to leave other clans out of this mess-especially the Hyuuga Clan."_

"_Jiraiya-sama?"_

"_Not in Konoha."_

_Itachi sighed in exasperation._

"_I know, right? This nonsense is becoming too painful to deal with," Shisui ran his hand through his black locks. "I haven't slept a wink for the past two days."_

"_Right. What about Naruto and Sasuke? We need to keep them away from the compound."_

"_Hmm… We could assign to them a training exercise on the village outskirts. No one will bother with them, and they needn't be exposed to this mess."_

"_That's decided then. What do we know of the Clan's attack strategy?"_

"_I am well versed with most of the plan."_

"_You need to fill us in later. We shall assemble out force four hours before the Coup is to begin."_

"_Fine. Are you going to tell Kakashi, or should I do it?"_

"_In light of the circumstances, it's best to tell him at the time of attack itself."_

"_As you wish. Now let me have my well deserved drink," Shisui motioned to the manager._

"_You know what?" Itachi began with some amusement, "I'll take you up on that offer."_

_Shisui smirked._

* * *

"Okay", Itachi began, "this exercise is all about chakra control."

Slowly, Itachi explained the mechanics of the task.

"Your objective is to reach the top branch of this tree. The first person to complete the exercise is in charge of the other two. Don't make a lot of noise and don't wander around. We'll be back by nightfall." Itachi briefed them on their task.

"See y'all," Shisui said casually, and the two of them flickered out of sight.

"You think they'll be okay?" Shisui asked as Itachi and he sped along the trees to the rendezvous point.

"I have more important things to worry about," was Itachi's dry reply.

"Fair enough."

As the two Shinobi neared the Hokage Tower, Itachi halted.

"What are you doing," Shisui asked unsurely.

"Hokage-sama and Inoichi-san are probably geared and ready. You go and fetch the others. I have some… business to take care of."

"Where are you going?" Shisui asked, getting a little worried. It wasn't like Itachi to make rash decisions, but one could never tell.

Itachi looked into his cousin's eyes with determination, before answering, "To see my father."

Shisui sighed as his cousin sped towards the Uchiha Clan grounds.

'Now, where's Kakashi?' After a few seconds, Shisui locked on to his chakra signature.

'Sparring with Guy, eh? Oh, so predictable Kakashi…'

Activating his shunshin, he reached his destination in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sorry to br…" Shisui trailed off as he took in the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Kakashi and Guy were engaged in what appeared to be a sneezing competition-or at least a sneeze-withholding one. Both of them were sitting on a wooden table, and a miniature-Guy (probably one of his students) was showering the two men with pepper powder.

To top it all off, the two Shinobi were shirtless.

"What on Earth is going on…? You know what? Don't answer that. I don't even want to think about it. Now stop being baboons and get dressed. We have more important things to attend to."

On the way to the Hokage Tower, Shisui brought the two Shinobi up to date.

* * *

Meanwhile, Itachi quietly entered his father's study.

Fugaku was in his Clan attire, and was preparing his weapons.

"Ah, Itachi… Your talents never cease to amaze me. I could barely sense your presence."

Fugaku turned around.

"What can I do for you, son?"

"Father," Itachi began in a cold, detached tone, "you know very well why I'm here. I've come to tell you that the Sandaime knows about the rebellion. Shisui and I were double agents all this while."

"Oh," Fugaku said in a slightly surprised tone, "that explains a lot."

"I may be an Uchiha, but to me, Konoha comes first. No matter what, I'm Konoha's Itachi Uchiha."

At this, Fugaku smiled.

"Thank you, son."

The reply took Itachi by surprise.

"Father, what-"

"I always had a suspicion, Itachi. To tell you the truth, I wonder what I was thinking not reporting the matter to the Sandaime myself. I'm happy that you two did it for me."

"I don't understand."

"I… I've had a lot of time to think, Itachi. Going over the reports, it's true that Konoha's Administration don't trust us very much. However, I simply cannot bring myself to betray the village."

Stunned silence reigned for a few moments, before Fugaku spoke again.

"Our Clan…" he began slowly, "our Clan hasn't always been a very trustworthy lot. Going AWOL during the incident those years ago was a very suspicious move. Luckily, due to the testament of Tensu-I mean Tenken; our Clan isn't suspected of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha. We aren't treated nearly as unjustly as the Elders believe."

"So you're against the whole thing…?"

"Of course I am! Our Clan has it good. The only count of discrimination is that of a position in the uppermost administrative circle-namely the positions of the Hokage and his Advisors. We don't need that. Two days ago, I made up my mind. In fact, I was a little disgusted with myself for even considering it. I was… I was sitting right here…"

Fugaku's voice dropped, becoming sullen.

"I was mulling over the entire mess, when I saw Naruto. He's a splitting image of his father."

A slight smile came over Fugaku.

"That's when I knew-I could under no circumstances have a hand in the treason the Clan is committing. Believe it or not, I was on my way to meet Sarutobi-sama."

"But father," Itachi began, confused, "why wait till now?"

"Because the rebellion would not benefit if it didn't have a stable leader. That is why I took so long to make up my mind. In fact, the Clan Council still hasn't received a formal answer."

Itachi smiled at his father.

"That and the fact that your mother would strangle me if I agreed to the Council's plan," Fugaku chuckled.

"Where is she now?"

"She's at the market. For once, she's not shopping. It's a sort of a reconnaissance mission. She is to inform me when the Clan makes its first move."

"I guess it all works out…"

"I'm proud of you, son. And this time it's not because of your achievements. It's because you did the right thing, and stayed loyal to the village. For that, I'm proud of you and Shisui."

Itachi turned, and nearly whispered, "And I'm proud of you, father…"

Itachi disappeared in a murder of crows.

* * *

"Man, I'm bored outta my balls!"

Sakura hit Naruto sideways on the head, probably because of the language Naruto used. Being as tired as he and Sasuke were, it was hard to tell.

It had been 90 minutes since Itachi and Shisui had instructed the three to start the tree climbing exercise.

To everybody's surprise, Sakura managed to accomplish the task of walking up a 30 foot tree in less than ten minutes. Now, she was supposed to supervise the other two, but instead spent most of her time plotting on making a move on Sasuke.

Naruto and Sasuke on the other hand, had reached the 35% and 60% marks on the tree respectively. Now they were on a break.

"The dobe has a point. I feel we should be doing some real training, and not just this monkey business."

Sasuke's words hurt Sakura's feelings, since it implied that Sakura's achievement wasn't worth notice. She pushed the feeling away, and thought of how best to get Sasuke's attention.

'_Subtly let him know that you appreciate and admire him. He wants to feel like the 'big, strong, cool guy', and making him feel that way will surely make him notice you.'_

Those were the words Sakura read in one of the 'relationship' magazines at Ino's shop.

'Hmm. I'm sure that he knows how I feel. Then again, he hangs out with Naruto. I would be surprised if the idiot rubs off on poor Sasuke-kun. Maybe I was being too subtle… Well, here's my chance. I've seen enough to know that Sasuke-kun admires Shisui and his brother more than anything in the world. Maybe I can make that route work…'

Simultaneously, her 'Inner Self' was having different, though not dissimilar thoughts.

'**Hell yeah! Today's the day Sasuke-kun and I get close and personal!'**

'Dammit! Will you calm down? I'm trying to think!'

'**You think too much. Just jump his goddamn bones!'**

While Sakura engaged in a graphic argument with her inner, Sasuke and Naruto-having recovered from severe exhaustion and dehydration-noticed her.

For some unknown reason, her brow was furrowed and she had an ecstatic smile on her face. For some reason, it made Sasuke want to shudder.

"So… uh… Sakura-chan," Naruto began unsurely, "that was really cool-the way you mastered the exercise."

"Why thank you, Sasuke-kun!" she snapped out.

"Actually it was m-"

"Not now Naruto! I'm having a conversation with Sasuke-kun!"

'Is she delusional?' was the thought in both Naruto and Sasuke's heads.

"So," the pink haired girl began leaning over, "let's get to know each other."

"That's not a bad idea, Sakura-chan. The _three_ of us are, after all, going to be training together!"

Simultaneously, Naruto received a look of disgust from Sakura and that of relief and gratitude from Sasuke.

"Well," Sakura suppressed her annoyance, "fair enough."

"Okay… I guess we can talk for a few minutes. I'm exhausted anyway. So…" Sasuke knew he would regret this, "what do you want to know?"

Even though Sasuke's voice was bored and grumpy, it was basically music to Sakura's ears.

"Well, let's see… Oh, I know. Tell me about the person you admire the most!"

"What? That is a weird sort of question to ask, Sakura-chan."

Naruto's comment was totally ignored, and Sasuke found himself in a fix.

"What do yo-"

"Oh, don't be like that, Sasuke-kun. Everybody looks up to someone. Who's your role model?"

Sasuke sighed.

"My brother. Now I know he's not always there for me, and that he doesn't express his affection openly, but in some way or the other, he's always looking for my best interests. He helps me out to the best of his capacities, and for some reason, he makes me feel loved. I… I want to be like him. Strong and confident, but more than that, gentle and caring. I don't know how a ruthless ANBU member can be so compassionate at times, but it's something to aspire for."

This took Sakura-and to some extent, Naruto-aback. Sasuke started out in his patented 'I-don't-give-a-crap' tone, but as he went on, his voice became soft and tender, almost filled with longing.

"Well," Naruto began, "since we are sharing this, I'd say that the person I admire the most is Tensui."

"Don't you mean Tenken?"

"No teme. I barely knew Tenken. Tensui was my 'brother'."

"Naruto has a brother?"

"In bond, Sakura-chan."

"Why don't you catch me up."

"Fine. I'll start by saying that I hardly know a lot of people. For some reason, for as long as I can remember, almost everybody avoids me. I didn't have any friends growing up, and sometimes I felt that nobody would bat an eyelash if I happened to die."

Naruto's voice cracked, but he spoke on.

"The only people I'd have regular interactions with were the old man and Iruka-sensei. However, the old man was always busy with Hokage duties, and Iruka-sensei would rarely get a chance to spend any one-on-one time with me. I guess… I guess that I got used to staying… all alone. Then I met Tensui-or rather he found me. At first, I was distrustful, but soon we became best friends. I later found out that he was one of teme's brother's teammates."

"Oh, so he was the person who came to pick you up at the Academy?"

"Yes Sakura-chan," Naruto chuckled. "As you already know, he is incredibly powerful and a highly skilled ninja. But more than that, he is-was my only friend. He'd take me out for food, buy me things and in general, take care of me. Now I don't mean to sound shallow, but the fact that he spent his very little free time on me said something."

"That he never had time?"

"No Sasuke-kun. And this applies to you and Itachi as well. This Tensui probably cared a lot for you, Naruto. Cared more than you could think of-like you were the most important person in the world."

Naruto promptly broke into tears.

"That's… that's the thing. I met him and spent time with him barely 15-20 times."

Naruto composed himself to the best he could.

"Eventually, I found out a lot about him. It seems that he knew my parents, and that they were great and well-loved personalities from Konoha. He told me that he couldn't reveal the identity to anybody since my father had a lot of enemies. What he did tell me was that he was my 'brother'. Well, more of a Godbrother, but I doubt such a term exists."

"Well it doe-never mind. Then what happened?"

It surprised Naruto that Sakura was paying so much attention to him (the normal amount) when all this while, she saw him as nothing more than a spoilt, stupid buffoon. However, he was too tired and emotionally vulnerable to delve into the matter.

"Then came _that day. _His team left for a mission and something big happened. We don't have the details, but I suppose it dug up some old wounds," Sasuke continued for Naruto.

"Tenke-Tensui… he left Konoha."

This left Sakura slightly shocked.

"Tell him teme," Naruto murmured, as he lay down on the grass.

"I'd met him. A very good person… He, Shisui, my brother and the weird one with the mask were all in a team together. They mutually respected and admired each other, and I guess that was the true meaning of maturity. Sadly, Tensui had to deal with some personal inner demons, and needed time off. He asked my brother to take Naruto into out care, and officially adopt him."

"Is he-"

"We don't know, Sakura. We have no idea of the whereabouts or activities of the man who looked at the two of us as brothers. And now he's … gone. A part of this brotherhood has left."

"Wait…. What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun?"

"It's getting late," chipped in Naruto.

"We have permis-"

"No Sakura-chan," Naruto drawled. He had a goofy smile on his face.

"What I mean is that in an hour or so, the moon would be visible."

"Ah," Sasuke understood. Standing calm in a serene location at twilight, and just staring into the moon was the favourite activity of Tensui. It seemed lame at first, but now that the three had inadvertently created such an atmosphere, it was all clear.

The tranquil setting was intoxicating everybody-filling them with compassion and happiness, and soothing out the problems.

"Teme, we just found Nirvana!" Instead of Naruto's cheer of triumph that accompanied different good news, Naruto spoke in a daze of stupor and peace.

"What? You mean the nickname Shisui gave their hangout spot? I expected it to be some sleazy bar where the team went between missions. Where is this place?"

"NO you shallow idiot. This setting… Look around you… It's quiet, we're protected by Nii-san's barriers and the atmosphere is so serene. The breeze is cool. Everything… everything is right."

Sakura was actually confused. For a second she suspected that the two boys might have ingested magic mushrooms, but soon saw what they wanted her to see.

Three friends-yep, she was Naruto's friend now-sitting in a quiet and cool environmental setting, at twilight. The human senses are all dulled. Then the occupants of the place pour out to each other their innermost thoughts. They could be secrets, opinions, insecurities, retrospections, a whole jumble of ideas.

And in all of this, she felt safe. She knew that if the area was attacked, the three occupants would stop at nothing to ensure they all got out alive.

She understood why Sasuke called them-Itachi, Sasuke, Naruto, Tensui, Shisui and Kakashi-a 'Brotherhood'. They were all like brothers to each other, and would support each other with everything they had.

Tensui-this one guy-he left. As a result, even Sasuke missed him a little, though he didn't know Tensui well at all.

The atmosphere propagated that feeling of belonging. It was this atmosphere that magically made everything seem alright.

It was no wonder that Team Ryuu treasured this setting. Now, Sakura Haruno would too.

Here, she got to see Naruto and Sasuke in a whole new light. She grew close to them as friends, and felt trusted. And now, it was going to be the place she'd reveal a few thoughts of her own-bottled up inside-to those who she trusted. Her friends.

"What about you, Sakura-chan?"

The original plan was to discreetly signal that the person she admired the most was Sasuke, but now that was impossible. Naruto and Sasuke had opened their hearts out-which was probably tougher since aside from being 8 year olds, Naruto was immature and Sasuke was stuck-up-she couldn't go with her bogus story.

No. Now, Sakura decided to tell her part of the story truthfully.

"It's… my father. I haven't told this to anyone else, but my father was a Shinobi. He was a member of Konoha's ANBU. But… whe…when I was four, he received a mission… I don't know the specifics, but it involved… killing a family… He… he refused. W-we never saw him again," Sakura managed to squeak.

"I know that he disobeyed an order, but he stood up for what was right. Even though that family probably caused the village harm," Sakura's voice turned distant, "he did the right thing. That's why I want to become a kunoichi. I want to be able to help others, and do the right thing."

The three children sat in silence for a while. It was too much-emotionally-for eight year olds to absorb.

After twenty minutes or so, just as they were about to return to training, they heard a loud explosion.

"What the he-"

"It's coming from the Uchiha Compound!"

* * *

**Meanwhile**

In the Uchiha Clan meeting room, all the able-bodied Clan members were waiting in anticipation for orders. This included most of the Clan, from sixteen year-olds to fifty year-olds.

There were 48 members in total. Excluding Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui and those not taking part in the Coup, there were 37 Uchiha ready and geared for action.

The four Elders were conferencing in the inner chamber, discussing their strategy. However, unknown to the Attack Force, there was another occupant in the chamber.

"You foolish, incompetent imbeciles!" the masked man hissed. "You tell me NOW that Fugaku Uchiha has betrayed the Clan, and that his son and nephew are planning a pre-emptive strike?"

"Ma-Madara-sama… we have no idea how… He was goi-"

"Shut up! Do you have any idea of the repercussions of your carelessness?"

"We-"

"The Coup will fail," Tobi continued, ignoring the cowering old man. "The Clan's best bet is to leave Konoha… They can move to the Water Country-those that survive, that is. What are the numbers?"

"Six. Two pregnant women, three civilians and one two-year old infant."

"I'll arrange for them to move to Kirigakure," the masked man said with finality. "The others will have to fight their way out. The Coup is to go as planned. Those that survive can escape to the Water Country… Might as well deal a crushing blow to this wretched place…"

"Yes, Madara-sama. W-we shall follo-"

"Oh, and one more thing. As a punishment for your stupidity and incompetence, the four of you aren't allowed to leave the village unless the Sandaime is dead."

Tobi activated his space-time jutsu and disappeared in a vortex, leaving behind four stunned Elders.

Tobi appeared on top of Konoha's Hokage Monument, and lay down on Hashirama's head. After a while, he lazily looked towards the statue of the Forth.

'Damn you Minato. Why are you playing this game with me? I finished you off… I've won. Move on and let me live in peace… But no… your son and your protégé's are ruining everything… And your "friend" will pay as well. Just you watch…'

Soon, Zetsu rose from out of Hashirama's statue.

"**Well, Tobi? Is there still a chance?"**

Tobi chuckled darkly.

"There's always a chance…"

* * *

**A/N 2: Well, I know this was shorter compared to the previous two chapters, but it's a start.**

**The next chapter is going to be full of action and drama. I've started working on it and will hopefully update within a few days.**

**Finally, please, please review. Your Alerts/Favorites mean a lot to me, but I honestly need to know how I'm doing and where I'm lacking. Constructive criticism is really appreciated.**

**Thank you once again. Also, kindly let me know about any typos/errors.**

**On a side note, I can't wait for this week's chapter. I hope we get a good flashback or something informative.**


End file.
